Entering Q2, refinery maintenance further increased, and domestic supply continued to decline. However, with the arrival of previously shipped goods, port petroleum coke inventories began to enter a buildup cycle. Demand-side performance was weak, with downstream enterprises lacking purchasing motivation, and US-China trade frictions also cooled traders' buying sentiment, creating a strong wait-and-see atmosphere. However, considering shipping schedules and the arrival of previous orders, SMM expects petroleum coke imports in Q2 to still increase MoM. In the long term, with the continuation of trade frictions and further adjustments in domestic market supply and demand, subsequent petroleum coke imports are expected to decline.

【SMM Iron Ore Price Transaction Summary】On April 25, prices decreased by 1-5 yuan/mt compared to the previous trading day. In the main ports of Shandong, PB fines were priced at 762-765 yuan, and mixed fines at 666 yuan. In the main ports of Hebei, PB fines were priced at 768 yuan, and MAC fines at 743 yuan. (Pricing unit: yuan/wmt)

The ferrous metals series rebounded slightly this week. On the news front, at the beginning of the week, the PBOC kept the one-year and five-year loan prime rates (LPR) unchanged at 3.1% and 3.6%, respectively. The Korea Customs Service stated on Monday that an increasing number of companies were attempting to disguise foreign products as Korean exports, with most of these products originating from China, to evade the comprehensive tariffs imposed by US President Trump. The Korea Customs Service has established a special task force to prevent illegal export activities. US President Trump delivered a public speech on Tuesday, April 22, acknowledging that the current tariffs on Chinese exports to the US were excessively high and anticipated a significant reduction in rates. This marked a softening of Trump's stance on his signature tariff policy, alleviating market pessimism over the tariff war...

【SMM: Social Inventory of Silicon Metal in Major Regions Declined WoW】According to SMM statistics, the social inventory of silicon metal in major regions totaled 602,000 mt on April 25, down 10,000 mt WoW.

In 2024, the global NEV industry continued to thrive, and the power battery market, as a core component, also showed robust growth. According to data from the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, China's cumulative power battery installations reached 548.4 GWh in 2024, up 41.5% YoY. This growth rate reflects the robust demand for power batteries in the domestic NEV market. Throughout the year, 55 power battery enterprises in China's NEV market achieved installation support, an increase of 4 YoY. The top 10 power battery enterprises accounted for 524.1 GWh of installations, representing 95.6% of the total. Market competition intensified, but the concentration effect among leading enterprises was also evident.

Today, the DCE iron ore futures contract remained stable in the morning but pulled back significantly in the afternoon, trading in the doldrums throughout the day. The most-traded contract I2509 finally closed at 709, with a daily decline of 1.87%. Traders' willingness to sell was moderate, while steel mills showed good restocking demand, particularly at lower levels. The market transaction atmosphere was moderate.