Platinum prices stopped falling and rebounded, with the most-traded PT2606 platinum futures contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange up 1.34% in early trading, closing at 567.9 yuan/gram. In the spot market, spot platinum prices against PT2606 were quoted at discounts of 10-13 yuan/gram, or at discounts of 1-4 yuan/gram against the Shanghai Gold Exchange’s Sell 1. Spot discounts widened slightly from the previous trading day. As for spot transactions, according to SMM, some traders holding cargo said that quotes at around a 10 yuan/gram discount to the June contract were difficult to conclude, and discounts needed to be lowered to above 12 yuan/gram. End-users made just-in-time procurement, and the spot market was still dominated by small-lot transactions, with overall trading normal.

The latest report released by WPIC on March 4 showed that by 2026, the global platinum market would face a deficit for the fourth consecutive year, with a shortfall of 240,000 troy ounces (about 7 mt). Current above-ground stocks could meet just over four months of market demand. In terms of supply, mine supply remained stable (173 mt), while recycling volume rose 10% to 57 mt; with no major new mines coming on stream, supply elasticity was extremely low. Demand side, industrial demand rebounded 11%, investment demand surged 35% to 23 mt (a new record), while demand in the automotive and jewelry sectors edged down slightly.

Johnson Matthey, in North America (e.g., refineries in Michigan and New Jersey), increased the yield and throughput of high-purity platinum and palladium (purity of 99.99%+) by optimizing solvent extraction and electrolysis purification processes and upgrading automation, in order to address the tight supply of raw materials from South Africa and Russia. BASF, in North America (e.g., sites in Michigan and Ohio), focused on improving the efficiency of secondary refining of platinum and palladium as well as catalyst regeneration, while expanding capacity for high-purity platinum and palladium salts and sponge, in order to offset the impact of restricted imports of Russian platinum group metals (PGMs) and production cuts at South African mines.

On February 26, local time in the US, the third round of indirect negotiations between the US and Iran took place in Geneva, Switzerland, mediated by Oman. The talks went through two stages with a break of several hours in between, and a new round of negotiations is expected to take place next week. On February 27, Beijing time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Chinese citizens in Iran to evacuate as soon as possible. The external security risks facing Iran have significantly increased, with multiple countries issuing advisories for their citizens to leave. Given the current security situation in Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Iran reminded Chinese citizens not to travel to Iran and advised those already there to strengthen safety precautions and evacuate as soon as possible. The Chinese Embassies and Consulates in Iran and its neighboring countries will provide necessary assistance for the evacuation of Chinese citizens via commercial flights or land routes. On February 27, platinum and palladium showed a significant rise, with platinum's weekly gain reaching 19.29%, making it a standout in the precious metals futures sector. Market uncertainties brought about by US tariffs and geopolitical risks continue to support the performance of precious metals. Fundamentals side, tight supply provided fundamental support for platinum. Coupled with many market participants' bullish outlook, some suppliers held prices firm, providing sentiment support for the rise in platinum and palladium. As of around 3:58 PM on February 27, the main platinum contract rose 5.34% to 623.75 yuan/gram, with a weekly gain of 19.29%; the main palladium contract rose 2.77% to 464.85 yuan/gram, with a weekly gain of 10.86%. The A-share market responded in kind, with the precious metals sector closing up 3.55% on February 27. On February 27, spot platinum was quoted at 606~610 yuan/gram, with an average price of 608 yuan/gram, up 3.67% from the previous trading day. The post-holiday rise in platinum, besides being supported by macro factors and safe-haven demand, also benefited from tight supply, positive market expectations, and some suppliers holding prices firm. Due to some suppliers' optimistic outlook, they were unwilling to sell at low prices, making it difficult to find low-priced goods in the market. However, the supply-demand relationship has not changed significantly since before the holiday. The post-holiday rise was more driven by optimistic sentiment, with downstream players adopting a wait-and-see attitude. It is expected that platinum prices will continue to fluctuate in the short term. Future developments will need to focus on changes in the demand side. Throughout February 2026, platinum and palladium prices experienced a roller-coaster ride amid macroeconomic shocks and geopolitical risks. For the whole month, macro sentiment dominated the pace of fluctuations, with supply-side events reinforcing support, and the structural feature of "strong platinum, weak palladium" continued. At present, geopolitical and macro situations strongly support precious metals: the tense Middle East situation directly boosted safe-haven demand; the downward revision of US GDP coupled with stubborn inflation highlighted gold's value preservation function; the legal battle over tariff policies weakened the US dollar's credibility, and expectations for US Fed interest rate cuts, along with global central banks' gold buying spree, collectively provided a solid bottom for precious metal prices. Fundamentals side, the expansion elasticity of platinum and palladium supply is relatively weak. Since platinum's demand structure is less dependent on traditional fuel vehicle consumption compared to palladium, the supply-demand pattern for platinum is tighter, and it is expected to have strong upward momentum, while palladium is likely to follow platinum in a weaker trend. Risk Warning: US Economic Resilience Exceeds Expectations, US Tariff Adjustments on Platinum and Palladium Exceed Expectations, Geopolitical Risks in Major Production Areas, etc.

According to precious metals and refinery services provider Heraeus, the gold price continues to show a consolidation phase. Following record highs at the end of December, the market is currently moving sideways within a clearly defined trading range rather than forming a pronounced upward or downward trend.

[SMM Survey: North American Magnesium Industry Accelerates Layout, Chinese Export Prices Rise, Global Magnesium Market Awaits Post-Holiday Volume Release] Recently, the global magnesium industry has shown a pattern of accelerated regional layout alongside trade competition. In North America, Western Magnesium relocated to a new plant in Las Vegas, accelerating the construction of its clean magnesium demonstration production line; it plans to commission its continuous vacuum reduction process within six months, aiming to verify scalability feasibility and promote low-carbon magnesium production. Innomin Minerals is advancing a large magnesium ore project in British Columbia, Canada, with drilling confirming near-surface wide mineralization, magnesium grade consistently above 20%, leaching recovery rate close to 99%, and associated nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals further highlighting the resource value. On the export market, post-Chinese New Year, China's magnesium ingot FOB offers broke through $2,400-2,450/mt, showing a significant increase compared to pre-holiday levels. Orders accumulated during the holiday are mainly for March shipment, with concentrated post-holiday shipments by traders boosting short-term activity; however, overseas buyers, affected by high ocean freight rates and high prices, are placing orders cautiously, with a strong wait-and-see sentiment. Industry insiders expect a potential peak in new overseas orders from late February to early March, with subsequent trends needing to monitor the pace of European inventory digestion and changes in ocean freight rates.

Capacity-wise, according to incomplete statistics, the domestic alkaline electrolyzer market remains at 43.77GW, and the PEM electrolyzer market stays at 2.7GW, with no new capacity added. The "water electrolysis hydrogen production system - oxygen purification unit" produced by Skyreach Hydrogen Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. has been successfully delivered to a leading large-scale polysilicon producer in China. Updates on electrolyzer projects: Jinfeng Green Energy Chemical (Xing'an League) Co., Ltd.: The Yujinfeng Xing'an League green hydrogen to green methanol (Phase III) project has been filed, with the construction site located in Xing'an League Economic and Technological Development Zone, Ulanhot City, Xing'an League. Total investment: 2.3 billion yuan, including 460 million yuan of own funds and 1.84 billion yuan of bank loans applied for. The planned construction period is from May 2026 to May 2028. The project will mainly construct biomass gasification, methanol synthesis distillation, and other main production facilities along with supporting public auxiliary works, producing 725,000 tons of green methanol annually. Guohua Investment Guohua (Cangzhou) Integrated Energy Co., Ltd.: The Alashan Large Wind and Solar Base Electrolysis Water Hydrogen Production and Ammonia Synthesis System Integration and Engineering Demonstration Project Cangzhou Green Ammonia Phase II Electrolysis Water Hydrogen Production System Preliminary Design Service has issued a public tender. According to the announcement, the first phase of the Cangzhou green hydrogen and green ammonia electrolysis water hydrogen production and ammonia synthesis facility has already been constructed within the reserved area of the green ammonia plant. Shaanxi Hydrogen Luyuan Technology Co., Ltd.: The shortlisted candidates for the hydrogen power supply equipment and its auxiliary devices procurement (0021GBT rectifier power supply) of the Yulin Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Hydrogen (Hydrogen Production) Demonstration Project have been announced. According to the announcement, the first candidate is Beijing Leidong Zhi Chuang Technology Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.3668 million yuan; the second candidate is Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.4661 million yuan; the third candidate is Shenzhen Hopewind Technology Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.48 million yuan. North Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. : A quotation request has been issued for the process equipment of the hydrogen production unit of the electrolysis water hydrogen production device (including electrolyzers, gas-liquid separation skids, purification skids, centrifugal pumps, canned motor pumps, alkali mixing tanks, demineralized water tanks, and auxiliary facilities). Jiangxi Xinlianxin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.: The annual 100kt green methanol demonstration project has passed the filing. It is understood that the total investment of the project is 100.96 million yuan, and the construction scale and content do not involve additional land use, partially relying on Jiangxi Xinlianxin Chemical Co., Ltd. Upon project completion, the facility is expected to achieve an annual production of 100kt of green methanol. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 2026 and conclude in April 2027. Jinda Hongjing (Shache) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The company issued postponement announcements for the full-process tracking audit service and project supervision service of the Jinda Hongjing Shache County Integrated PV Hydrogen Production Project. The revised bid opening date for both is March 10, 2026. The project involves the construction of a new 250kt/year green methanol production facility, including water electrolysis for hydrogen production, biomass gasification units, and methanol synthesis units, along with storage systems and supporting utilities and auxiliary facilities. The annual output is set at 250kt of green methanol, with by-products including 30kt/year of steam and 179.2 million standard cubic meters/year of oxygen. Ningxia Wangwa Coal Industry Co., Ltd.: The winning bid result was announced for the hydrogen production equipment procurement of the Guyuan Pengyang 2×660MW Unit Project. The winning bidders are Suzhou Xipeiyou Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.062 million yuan), Wuxi Weifu High-Technology Group Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.2 million yuan), and Shanghai Hydrogen Sharp Technology Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.3736 million yuan). The tender was divided into one section, specifically for a 10Nm³/h proton exchange membrane hydrogen production unit. Xinjiang Huadian Weihuliang New Energy Co., Ltd.: The company announced the transaction results for the UPS and EPS of the alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production system for the Xinjiang Huadian Urumqi Point-to-Point Hydrogen Refueling Station, as well as the results for the hydrogen production system distribution cabinet. The suppliers are Harbin Jiuzhou Group Co., Ltd. and Tengzhou Taiyuan Power Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., respectively. Junrui Green Hydrogen Energy (Chahar Right Rear Banner) Co., Ltd.: A competitive consultation announcement was released for the full-process management of the Chahar Right Rear Banner 14,400 t/year Hydrogen Production Project. According to the announcement, the procurement budget for the full-process management is 1.69% (bidders must not quote a rate higher than 1.69%, or the bid will be deemed invalid). Policy Review 1. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission published the "Ningxia 2026 First Batch of Project List Recommended to Private Capital." One key project in the hydrogen energy sector is the Integrated Hydrogen Storage, Transportation, and Utilization Zero-Carbon Energy Demonstration Base, located in the Lingzhou Chemical Industry Park in Lingwu City. The project aims to establish a demonstration model covering the entire green hydrogen production chain, including wind and solar power generation, hydrogen production, storage, and transportation. It will be equipped with corresponding facilities, pipelines, and transport fleets to provide logistics services to surrounding chemical enterprises and offer a feasible solution for replacing gray hydrogen with green hydrogen in the Ningdong coal chemical industry. Additionally, the project plans to construct hydrogen refueling stations to support bus operations and distributed fuel cell power generation projects. The total investment in the project amounts to 2.8 billion yuan. 2. The Jilin Provincial Energy Bureau released the "Implementation Plan for the Development and Construction of Green Electricity Direct Connection Projects in Jilin Province (Trial)" (Draft for Comments). The document indicates that new load projects can carry out green electricity direct connections, with priority support for hydrogen-based green energy (green hydrogen, green hydrogen to green ammonia, green hydrogen to green methanol, green hydrogen to sustainable aviation fuel, etc.), steel metallurgy, computing (data) centers, automotive manufacturing, and other industries. Electricity consumption projects that have not been registered with grid enterprises (including expansion parts of existing loads), electricity consumption projects that have been registered but whose supporting grid projects have not yet started construction, and existing projects agreed upon through consultation with grid enterprises are all considered new loads. In principle, new loads (including expansion parts of existing loads) and existing loads should not have direct electrical connections. 3. The European Commission approved a 4 billion euro special fund for electrolyzers, providing a 30% subsidy on equipment costs for projects with an annual capacity of ≥500 MW, and setting a 2030 target for electrolyzer efficiency in green hydrogen projects at ≥60% (LHV basis). Corporate Developments Plug Power : Faces a securities class action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, accused of making misleading disclosures to investors regarding the progress of a US Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee of $1.66 billion (approximately 12 billion yuan), exaggerating the likelihood of obtaining the loan and the project construction capabilities. In November 2025, Plug announced the suspension of the loan-related project, jeopardizing the loan and the plan for six hydrogen plants, leading to consecutive declines in its stock price. Transition Industries : Signed a long-term natural gas supply agreement with Mexico's CFEnergía, securing a daily supply of 160 million cubic feet of US gas for the Pacifico Mexinol ultra-low carbon methanol project in Mexico. This contract marks the final key commercial milestone for the project, which has a total investment of $3.3 billion and is expected to commence operation by the end of 2029 to early 2030, producing 2.15 million mt of ultra-low carbon methanol annually, making it the largest facility of its kind globally. Power2X : Dutch hydrogen-based synthetic fuel developer Power2X acquired green hydrogen enterprise HyCC, with the transaction valuation undisclosed. The acquisition adds five green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands and Germany, with a total developable scale of 1 GW, aiding the company in advancing its 250,000 mt per year green hydrogen-based SAF project in Rotterdam, marking its transition from project development to execution. Robert Bosch GmbH: Conducted workforce optimization in China, with the first round involving nearly 200 employees at the Wuxi plant's internal combustion engine and hydrogen fuel cell projects. This is an economic layoff, with the company offering N+4 compensation, exceeding the statutory standard. China Huadian Corporation Ltd. : Party Secretary and Chairman Jiang Yi held talks in Baotou with Chen Zhichang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Party Committee and Secretary of the Baotou Municipal Party Committee, and Meng Qingwei, Deputy Secretary of the Baotou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, where both sides exchanged views on further deepening central-local cooperation. Hebei Province Baoding High-Tech Environment Technology Co., Ltd.: announced the winning bid result for the Baoding High-Tech Environment Technology Co., Ltd. Hydrogen-Powered Sanitation Vehicle Procurement Project. The winning bidder was Changsha Zoomlion Environment Industry Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 37.685 million yuan. Inner Mongolia Ebert Coal Technology Co., Ltd.: The hydrogen refueling, hydrogen swapping, charging and swapping integrated station at Plot 02-02C1 in the Airport Logistics Park was approved for construction by the Yijinhuoluo Banner Energy Bureau. The bid inviter is Inner Mongolia Ebert Coal Technology Co., Ltd., and the construction funds are self-raised. It is understood that this project is an integrated station for hydrogen refueling, hydrogen swapping, and charging. The hydrogen refueling station is classified as a Level III station with a hydrogen refueling capacity of 500 kg/d. The main facilities of the hydrogen refueling station include 1 unloading column, 2 units of 45 MPa hydrogen compressors, 1 unit of 90 MPa hydrogen compressor, 1 set of 45 MPa hydrogen storage cylinder bundle, 1 set of 90 MPa hydrogen storage cylinder bundle, 1 unit of HB5/H70 hydrogen refueling integrated machine, 3 units of compressor chiller units, 1 unit of hydrogen refueling machine chiller unit, 1 set of nitrogen cylinder bundle, 1 unit of nitrogen cabinet, 2 units of sequential control cabinets, 1 unit of heat exchanger, etc. The facilities for the hydrogen swapping and battery swapping station include 1 set of integrated hydrogen swapping and battery swapping skid, etc. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory test lifespan reaching 80,000 hours. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing a Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity close to platinum-based materials. Technology Footprints/Technical Specifications 1. The team of Liu Qingju from Yunnan University constructed a superwetting Pt/NF@CF graded heterojunction electrocatalyst for low-energy consumption and high-efficiency hydrogen production. 2. Teams from Hunan Normal University and Central South University (AM) revealed the effects of compressive strain and oxygen vacancies on iridium oxide in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. 3. Relevant research teams from the School of Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Electrical Materials successfully developed a Ru/Ti3C2Ox@NF bifunctional seawater electrolysis electrocatalyst. 4. The group standard "Technical Specification for Wind-Solar-Storage Green Electricity Coupled Electrolysis Hydrogen Production" (Number T/CIEP 0272—2025) was released and implemented by the China Industrial Environmental Protection Promotion Association. Zhongneng Dayou Energy Technology Co., Ltd. successfully developed a 100 kW-level PEM electrolyzer hydrogen production multi-field coupling test equipment. 5. GKN Powder Metallurgy announced the development of a new generation of high-performance, high-porosity, high-purity porous transport layer (HP-PTL) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis.

[SMM Platinum and Palladium Weekly Review] This week (February 9 – February 13), the most-traded platinum contract PT2606 opened at 540 yuan/gram and closed at 523.8 yuan/gram, up 30.9 yuan/gram or 6.27% WoW. The weekly highest price was 559.1 yuan/gram, and the lowest was 516 yuan/gram. The most-traded palladium contract PD2606 opened at 436.5 yuan/gram and closed at 416.8 yuan/gram, up 9.55 yuan/gram or 2.34% WoW. The weekly highest price was 443 yuan/gram, and the lowest was 411 yuan/gram. In futures trading, the most-traded platinum contract PT2606 recorded a total weekly trading volume of 36,713 lots, a total turnover of 19.82 billion yuan, and an open interest of 20,073 lots, a decrease of 1,369 lots WoW. The most-traded palladium contract PD2606 recorded a total weekly trading volume of 18,112 lots, a total turnover of 7.801 billion yuan, and an open interest of 7,188 lots, a decrease of 874 lots WoW. Recent fluctuations in platinum and palladium primarily reflected sentiment transmission from the precious metals sector, with significant resonance among gold, silver, platinum, and palladium amid macro factors. The nomination of Wash as Fed Chairman in early February triggered a sharp pullback in the precious metals sector. His hawkish anti-inflation stance, advocating for "interest rate cuts + balance sheet reduction + function reduction," combined with stronger-than-expected US PPI, raised market concerns about medium and long-term support for precious metals. Expectations of balance sheet reduction may boost the US dollar, disrupt precious metals pricing logic, and lead to frequent sector corrections. Domestic and overseas platinum and palladium term structures diverged; after the price drop, strong restocking by domestic automotive catalyst producers steepened the domestic term structure slope. Strategically, Trump plans to launch a $12 billion "Gold Reserve Plan" to build a strategic reserve of critical minerals and a preferential trade zone, intending to set price floors and use tariffs and other border measures for protection, aiming to establish a rule system with internal subsidies and external barriers, excluding non-member countries from core supply chain benefits. USGS data showed the US import dependency for platinum and palladium reached 89% and 57%, respectively, in 2025, with strategic reserve premiums bullish for platinum and palladium. Additionally, attention is needed on details of new managers announced by the LME and US anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on Russian unwrought palladium. In the spot market, the approaching Chinese New Year holiday atmosphere intensified. Along with cooling investment enthusiasm in precious metals recently, aside from some end-users' rigid pre-holiday stockpiling needs, the overall spot market showed thin trading.

Platinum prices were in the doldrums today. The most-traded platinum PT2606 contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange closed the morning session at 550.55 yuan/gram, down 0.15%. Spot prices against the PT2606 contract were quoted at a discount of 2-6 yuan/gram. The sell side of the PT2606 contract on the Gold Exchange ended its inverted spread, while spot discounts showed relatively small changes compared with the previous trading day. In spot trading, some end-users began just-in-time procurement ahead of the holiday, but suppliers significantly reduced their offers as the holiday approached, resulting in sluggish spot transactions.

Platinum prices fluctuated upward today. The most-traded platinum contract PT2606 on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange closed the morning session at 539.15 yuan per gram, dropping slightly by 0.19%. For spot prices, platinum spot cargo against PT2606 was quoted at a discount of 0–4 yuan/gram. The sell side of the Gold Exchange's 1-PT2606 contract ended the price inversion, and spot discounts narrowed compared with the previous trading day, mainly due to the narrowing spread between domestic and overseas markets. In terms of spot transactions, according to SMM, just-in-time procurement by end-users was scarce. Some end-users reported that pre-holiday stockpiling for replenishment had been completed. Meanwhile, as investment enthusiasm cooled, overall market wait-and-see sentiment was strong before the holiday, and spot transactions were generally thin.