Think Tank
Metal market forecast · Industry insights
Freeport's Copper Output Misses Estimates as Global Demand Rises
Summary: On October 26, foreign media reported that Freeport-McMoRan's copper production in the Americas fell short of e…
The marketization of electricity prices has taken an important step, but transmission through the market will still take time.
Summary: Coal-fired power generation will, in principle, be fully brought into the electricity market, with on-grid elec…
China's Steel Output Curbs Weigh on Australia's 'Iron Ore Economy'
Summary: Affected by China's steel production cuts, Australian stocks fell to a near four-month low on September 29, wit…
Copper consumption lacks highlights in the "Golden September, Silver October" season
Abstract: Heading into the "Golden September and Silver October" peak season, apart from a certain amount of seasonal st…
State Council Again Calls Out Bulk Commodity Prices: Don't Let 'Speculative Fever' Burn SMEs
Summary: Rising bulk commodity prices help improve the profitability of upstream raw-material enterprises and reduce deb…
Nickel Prices Rebounded Last Week, Recovering Prior Losses
Summary: The recent passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill by the U.S. Senate is expected to boost demand for meta…
Stronger U.S. Inflation Expectations Fuel Concerns
Summary: Market research institutions believe that U.S. inflation will continue to rise in the near term, which could no…
Steel and non-ferrous metal prices surge across the board; three commodity exchanges step in to cool down.
Summary: On May 10, bulk commodities collectively soared! Faced with the fierce rally in the futures market, the three d…
Global copper smelting activity rebounds in April as copper prices rise
Summary: According to a joint statement released on Wednesday by satellite services company SAVANT and broker Marex, glo…
Market Uncertainty Lingers; Short-Term Caution Advised on Copper Price Gains
Summary: On the fundamentals front, although demand for refined copper rod has yet to show obvious improvement and domes…
SHFE Nickel to Remain Under Pressure in Medium Term
Abstract: In the medium to long term, after nickel prices return to the primary nickel pricing system, the outlook remai…
Nickel prices spiked then retreated, continuing their consolidation trend.
Abstract: After nickel prices peaked in February and then fell sharply with a major correction, they have continued to f…
Biden to Boost Domestic Strategic Minerals Supply
Summary: Analysts believe that any slowdown in the mining industry will be offset by Biden's climate agenda. The plan, w…
Lithium Battery Copper Foil Faces Major Supply-Demand Imbalance Risk This Year
Summary: The recovery of new energy vehicle demand has boosted demand for lithium batteries. As copper foil, a key auxil…
Nickel Resources Tip the Scales as Two Giants Move into Indonesia
Summary: At a press conference that day, Bahlil Lahadalia, head of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, said Ind…
US Election Raises Transition Concerns, Copper Prices Remain Rangebound
Summary: Copper prices are expected to remain rangebound, hovering at low levels in the short term. Fundamentals are mix…
Shanghai Copper Opens High, Closes Low as Global Pandemic Worsens
Summary: Technically, the SHFE copper 2012 contract saw shrinking volume with a relatively strong bearish atmosphere. Fo…
Doctor Copper Extends Rally to Fresh Two-Year High on Chinese Demand
Summary: International copper prices hit another new high for more than two years this week. As of 15:00 Beijing time on…
GlobalData: Global Nickel Output to Fall 7.4% This Year
Data analytics firm GlobalData expects world nickel production to fall 7.4% to 2.19 million tonnes in 2020, mainly due t…
Refined-Scrap Copper Spread Narrows as Copper Prices Consolidate
Summary: From a fundamental perspective, we remain positive on the long-term trend. In the short term, however, with lar…
Zinc's History and Industry Development
Abstract: Zinc is one of the elements whose compounds have been known since ancient times. China was the first country i…
Macquarie: Nickel Supply to Decline by 2025
Summary: Global financial services provider Macquarie Group is calling for investment in the nickel industry, despite ex…
Bearish Pressures Keep Piling Up: Is Shanghai Nickel in Trouble?
Summary: Since September, Shanghai nickel futures have been on a dismal slide, falling from above the 120,000 yuan/ton m…
Pandemic Caused a Collapse in Galvanizing Consumption, but Future Remains Supported
Summary: China's economic development is currently at a pivotal stage of growth driver conversion. The development of Ch…
Copper Prices Adjust, Upside Rally Still Awaits
Abstract: On the supply-demand front, overseas copper mine production is gradually recovering, easing supply pressure. A…
Zinc Prices Fluctuate at High Levels Amid Macro Sentiment Swings
Summary: The global economy is recovering steadily, but with U.S. equities highly valued, markets have become increasing…
Severe Imbalance between Reserves and Consumption: High External Dependence on Gold, Copper and Other Metals
The first China Mining Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development Forum was held in Shanghang County, Fujian Prov…
The impact of new energy vehicles on copper demand over the next 10 years
Abstract: The copper usage of new energy vehicles will increase in all aspects compared with traditional internal combus…
Zinc Alloy Consumption Improves; Seasonal Demand Peak Still Expected
Summary: In the short term, supported by a strong overseas market and a weakening US dollar, Shanghai zinc is likely to …
Nickel Prices Expected to Move Higher
Summary: Since April, the center of gravity of nickel prices has continued to move up, but against the backdrop of an ov…
Copper Prices Expected to Decline as Fundamentals Weaken at the Margin
Summary: The trading logic for copper is currently undergoing a shift. The temporary supply-demand mismatch caused by th…
Support for copper prices from both the supply and demand sides has weakened, with expectations for August turning more cautious.
Abstract: Neither supply nor demand supports higher copper prices; copper prices are expected to be range-bound with a d…
Copper Prices Fall as US-China Tensions Escalate
Summary: Copper prices fell on Thursday as escalating tensions between the United States and China stoked investor uneas…
Nickel Prices Face Downward Pressure on Oversupply
Summary: At the 5th China International Nickel-Cobalt-Lithium Summit held in Shanghai on July 13-14, market participants…
Analysis of the Supply-Demand Logic of China's Nickel Resources in the Post-Pandemic Period
Abstract: The average annual nickel prices from 2021 to 2025 are expected to be USD 14,000/t, 14,300/t, 13,900/t, 13,800…
Nickel Market to Evolve with Electric Vehicles, Shifting Roles, and Project Changes
Summary: Fitch, a financial risk management company, said the international refined nickel production and trade market w…
Comparison of Acid and Alkaline Zinc-Nickel Alloy Electroplating Processes
I. Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of the two processes The process characteristics of acidic zinc-nickel all…
COVID-19 Outbreak Has Already Affected Mining Operations
SMM News: According to comprehensive media reports, the global outbreak of COVID-19 has had a certain impact on mining c…
Fed Cuts Rates by 25 Basis Points for Third Time This Year, Signals Possible Pause
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a widely expected 25 basis point rate cut, while also signaling that the easin…
How important is the composition of the passivation solution for trivalent chromium on zinc coatings?
Many factors affect the performance of trivalent chromium passivation films, mainly including passivation solution compo…
A Rundown of Key Macro and Metals Market News During the National Day Holiday
Yesterday, the U.S. dollar index strengthened, mainly due to high-level China-U.S. economic and trade consultations. Whi…
Copper Spot Premiums Extend Decline, Brand Spreads Narrow
On the 23rd, the main SHFE copper contract closed at 46,870 yuan/ton, down 0.55%. On the same day, LME inventories fell …
Do you know what tests should be conducted first to improve the quality of automotive exterior electroplating?
In today's society, many automotive exteriors adopt decorative electroplating technology, which not only adds a sense of…
Shanghai Nickel Hits Record High Above 140,000 Yuan/Ton, Up Over 50% in Three Months; How Big Is the Impact of Indonesia's Mining Ban and Will History Repeat?
Over the past two days, under the heavy impact of Indonesia's mining ban policy, Shanghai nickel prices have continued t…
Field Report on the New Energy Used-Car Market: Electric Vehicles Become a 'Hot Potato,' Hybrids More Popular
As the number of new energy vehicles continues to grow, the residual value challenge facing pure electric vehicles in th…
Pretreatment Process for Plated Parts
The surface condition and cleanliness of the parts to be plated are the fundamental guarantee for obtaining a high-quali…
Chrome Plating Post-Treatment: Key Considerations for Flash Chroming over Multilayer Decorative Plating
(1) Pretreatment before chrome flashing. Many parts are processed by a "one-step method" before chrome flashing, allowin…
Central Bank Refutes US 'Currency Manipulator' Label: No Manipulation Exists!
Summary: The US Treasury Department labeled China a "currency manipulator," to which China expresses deep regret. This l…
A Comprehensive Interpretation of the Development of Brush Electroplating Technology
Comprehensive interpretation of the development of brush electroplating technology 01 Introduction to brush electroplati…
In-Depth: Application and Maintenance of Sulfate Trivalent Chromium Plating Process
Since the late 1970s, Chinese researchers, represented by those from Harbin Institute of Technology, began to study triv…
Fundamentals of Electrogalvanizing
Electrogalvanizing: It is the process of using electrolysis to form a uniform, dense, and well-adhered metal or alloy de…
Highlights of the Mid-Year Economy: How Should We Read the 6.3%?
On July 15, at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, China's economic data for the first half…
WTO Rules Against US in 11 Subsidy Cases; China Responds
According to the Ministry of Commerce website on the evening of July 16, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce mad…
Fed Rate Cut One Step Away, Global Stocks and Commodities Rally Again
As expected, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell again sent a strong signal of a rate cut in his testimony at a congr…
Another Sign of Fed Easing: Australian Central Bank Cuts Rates for Second Consecutive Month
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced on Tuesday a 25-basis-point rate cut to 1.00%, marking the second consecut…
Central Banks Send Easing Signals, Global Market Sentiment Improves
Concerned about economic growth prospects, central banks in many countries have recently signaled monetary easing. Drive…
How to Solve Barrel Plating Solution Temperature Rise That Stops Continuous Summer Production
During barrel plating, the solution temperature rises much faster than in rack plating. This is particularly harmful to …
Pure EVs to Hit 15 Million Units by 2030! Industry Says NEV Competitive Landscape to Be Reshaped
On June 11, Mou Jiawen, Associate Director of Strategy and Operations at Deloitte, pointed out that comprehensive compet…
Prevent problems before they occur, strengthen awareness of standards, and steer clear of the ten major pitfalls in electroplating zinc-iron alloy.
During electroplating, faults are caused by many and complex factors, such as phase loss, short circuit, or component da…
Global Rate-Cut Cycle Begins, Asia-Pacific Stocks Rebound: Will China’s Central Bank Cut Rates?
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted at his stance on rate cuts, and U.S. stocks rebounded strongly overnight, …
Pay attention to these details in degreasing and pickling to save time, effort, and reduce consumption!
To master and manage the degreasing process properly, one must correctly understand the principle of adhesion between th…
Maintaining RMB Exchange Rate Stability Now Key Policy Focus
Recently, the escalation of Sino-US trade frictions has brought huge potential risks to global markets, especially the r…
How to Control Barrel Plating Solution Temperature Rise for Continuous Summer Production
During barrel plating, the solution temperature rises much faster than in rack plating. This is quite harmful to product…
SHMET Insight: Falling Inventories Fail to Shift Supply-Demand Outlook — When Will Zinc Prices Stop Falling?
Since the start of the year, zinc inventories in Shanghai and London have moved in completely different directions. LME …
Analyzing the Many Causes of Pitting in Acid Bright Copper Plating
Introduction: Pitting refers to small pits formed on the surface of the coating during electroplating for various reason…
The Impact of Escalating US-China Trade Frictions on the Economy and Commodities
Non-ferrous metals: The reciprocal tariffs between China and the US have limited overall impact on the supply side of no…
China's Copper Consumption Rises for 10 Straight Years, Making 'Green Competition' the Way Forward
China's copper consumption has achieved a compound annual growth rate of 7.4% over the past decade, making it one of the…
Key Analysis Factors to Help You Reduce Defects in Plastic Electroplating
01 Definition of Electroplating The broad definition of electroplating: includes electrodeposition of metals or alloys, …
A-Shares Plunge in May's First Session; PBOC's Timely Targeted RRR Cut Seeks to Restore Confidence
SMM May 6 — The first trading day of May came to a close, and China's three major A-share indices suffered a 'black open…
6 Common Faults in Bright Nickel Plating: Do You Know How to Solve Them?
Preface: Bright nickel plating is widely used. It can eliminate the heavy polishing process and obtain a bright coating.…
2019 High-Nickel Materials Enter Fast Growth Track; Global Nickel Sulfate Capacity Expected to Exceed 1 Million Tonnes in 2020
On April 28–29, 2019, the 4th Nickel-Cobalt-Lithium-Manganese Industry Chain Summit 2019 was held in Yibin, Sichuan. The…
5 Methods to Reduce Chromium Pollution in Chrome Plating
At present, the chromium plating solution used in production is mainly hexavalent chromium solution. Hexavalent chromium…
High-Nickel Ternary Materials Set to Dominate; NEV Sales to Surpass Fuel Vehicles by 2025
On April 10, the 2019 International Battery Materials Conference, co-hosted by Fastmarkets (formerly Metal Bulletin) and…
Factors Influencing the Corrosion Resistance of Trivalent Chromium Passivation Film on Zinc Coatings
Abstract: Factors influencing the corrosion resistance of trivalent chromium passivation films on zinc coatings were ana…
Copper Industry Sees Better Performance; New Energy Vehicles to Significantly Boost Copper Demand
At the beginning of this year, copper prices rose rapidly at one point, drawing bullish views from both domestic and ove…