LME Nickel to Rise (2017-8-29)

The European Union has formally clarified the documentary requirements for identifying the “melt and pour country” of imported steel products. From October 1, 2026, importers will be required to declare and substantiate where the original steel was first melted and poured, generally through a Mill Test Certificate containing the melt and pour country and heat number.

Since August, the SMM battery-grade nickel sulphate CIF China price generally remained around $3,700/wmt, while after entering the late month, Chinese buyers' purchase inquiries for South Korean nickel sulphate increased significantly, and their purchasing initiative strengthened. However, this change did not yet translate into a clear recovery in ternary downstream demand. Whether the market could continue to improve in the future still depended on whether relevant inquiries could be converted into actual transactions, and whether there was a substantial rebound in the production of precursors and cathode materials in China and South Korea.

Le prix CIF Chine du sulfate de nickel de qualité batterie de SMM est resté globalement stable autour de 3 700 $/tms en août, tandis que les demandes d'achat chinoises pour le matériau coréen se sont intensifiées vers la fin du mois. Cependant, un approvisionnement plus soutenu ne s'est pas encore traduit par une reprise claire de la demande en aval ternaire, laissant la durabilité de l'amélioration dépendante de la croissance réelle de la production de précurseurs et de cathodes.