Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Mar 23)

On March 18, the “Joint Struggle Headquarters,” formed by multiple unions at Samsung Electronics, announced that support for the strike that had been underway since the 9th of this month reached as high as 93.1. The union is expected to launch an 18-day general strike in late May. At a time when the global boom in data center construction continued to drive up demand for semiconductors, this move could cause wild swings in the global AI semiconductor supply chain.

[Cumulative Copper Wire and Cable Exports in January-February] According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in January-February 2026, China's cumulative wire and cable exports totaled 503,800 mt, up 22.52% YoY. Of this, cumulative copper wire and cable exports in January-February reached 243,500 mt, up 34.9% YoY.

Trade statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance on March 18 showed that Japan's export value to the US fell YoY for the third consecutive month in February. Data showed that, dragged down by lower exports of pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and auto parts, Japan's export value to the US declined 8% YoY to 1.75 trillion yen in February ($1 was equivalent to about 155.65 yen), of which automobile export value fell 14.8% YoY.