SMM Webinar Series: Coronavirus Special-Impact on the China metals market

Published: Feb 11, 2020 14:37

Save

In February, SMM will be hosting a 4-session special webinar series on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesdays and Fridays, 5pm CST.

SMM has undertaken further surveys covering the impact of the coronavirus outbreak issues in China on physical metals markets. In February, we will be hosting a 4-session special webinar series on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesdays and Fridays, 5pm CST. Our analysts will share their insights and outlook on the Chinese domestic market and look at how the virus outbreak will impact demand and supply of ferrous and nonferrous metals.

February 12 (Wednesday) 5pm CST: Macro overview with Copper and Zinc

The coronavirus outbreak looks set to take a toll on copper demand, while the impact on copper supply remains to be seen. That leaves China’s copper market to be oversupplied in the near term, weighing on copper prices.

A potentially sharp increase in zinc social inventories are likely to further hammer zinc prices, after the recovery of logistical services allows cargoes to move from smelters to social warehouses.

Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8327328738461958411

February 14 (Friday) 5pm CST: Aluminium supply chain

Concerns about the impact of the epidemic outbreak on aluminium consumption and higher inventories led to a decline of 3.5% in futures prices on the first trading day after the CNY holidays. Meanwhile, alumina prices have been rising in some regions due to logistics constrains.

Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/441778679228901644

February 19 (Wednesday) 5pm CST: Steel and Iron Ore

According to SMM research, steel mills in Hubei and Hunan whose raw materials procurement or business scope involves Hubei, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, may see their raw materials being able to sustain production for only a month. Given 85% of steel capacity is in coastal regions, impacts on imported raw materials should be relatively limited in the ferrous space.

Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1659228322246787596

February 21 (Friday) 5pm CST: Nickel & New Energy

Small and medium-scale cobalt producers are expected to see greater impact in the first quarter while major enterprises may feel smaller impact given their sufficient inventories and continued production during the holidays. Following SARS in 2003, auto sales rose strongly. Could we see an improved demand outlook for autos following the coronavirus outlook?

Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6705541391529479948

Coronavirus impact Copper Zinc Aluminium Steel Iron ore New energy covid19

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

12 mins ago

Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Mar 17)

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 17 Mar , 2026

12 mins ago

2 hours ago

Tongling Nonferrous Completes Phase 2 of Mirador Copper Mine; Mining Contract Signing in Progress

The construction and trial operation of the second phase of the Mirador Copper Mine project under Tongling Nonferrous Metals have been completed, and the signing of its Mining Contract is currently being advanced.

2 hours ago

Sellers Held Prices Firm While Buyers Waited on the Sidelines; After the Contract Rollover, Spot Trades in the Shanghai Spot Copper Market Were Lackluster [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]

[SMM Shanghai Spot Copper] Intraday trading in the spot market was subdued, while suppliers still showed willingness to hold prices firm. Downstream wait-and-see sentiment remained relatively strong, and spot premiums edged down slightly from yesterday. As the contango price spread between nearby contracts narrowed, suppliers' willingness to ship to delivery warehouses weakened somewhat, putting pressure on spot premiums. On the demand side, downstream buyers maintained just-in-time procurement, and transactions remained sluggish even after suppliers slightly lowered their quotations, as current copper prices had limited appeal to end-users. On the supply side, domestic copper and imported cargoes previously locked in at fixed prices continued to arrive, while social inventory remained at a high level. The outflow of warrants over the next two days may further weigh on spot premiums. Meanwhile, signs that the import window may still open persisted, and expectations for subsequent inflows of ex-China cargoes strengthened, further increasing supply-side pressure. Overall, amid a pattern of weak supply and demand, Shanghai spot copper premiums are expected to remain under pressure tomorrow, with a possibility of a slight widening.

2 hours ago