SMM surveyed 41 major aluminium processors in 12 provinces and found that their average operating rate dipped 0.6 percentage point on a weekly basis to 74.4% last week.

Operating rates across primary lead smelters in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces averaged 53.8% in the week ended April 3, up 1.3 percentage points from the prior week, showed an SMM survey.

Prices of battery-grade nickel sulphate, a raw material used to produce electric vehicle batteries, halted their decline that lasted for much of March, and edged higher as of March 30, as concerns about feedstock supply disruption intensified after Papua New Guinea banned vessels at ports to stop the spread of the COVID-19.

Manufacturing activities across nickel downstream sectors in China expanded in March after contracting for eleven consecutive months, as factories get back to business amid the easing of movement restrictions from COVID-19.

SHFE nonferrous metals, except for nickel, traded higher on Tuesday as market sentiment improved on better-than-expected data on China’s manufacturing activities in March. Official data released on Tuesday showed that China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for March came in at 52, returning to expansion and defying expectations of a contraction amid the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Shanghai base metals opened higher across the board on Tuesday, as US stocks extended its rally from its deep rout triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

SHFE nonferrous metals rose across the board on Friday March 27, as investors hoped that Beijing would roll out more monetary and fiscal measures to bolster its economy. Market sentiment was also lifted by the news that leaders of the Group of 20 major economies will inject over $5 trillion into the global economy to counter the impact from the COVID-19 and “do whatever it takes to overcome the pandemic.”

China's ternary precursor market will likely face continued headwinds of falling export orders for digital batteries and delays in recovery of new energy vehicle demand, as the global spread of the coronavirus has yet to show signs of slowing. This is expected to expand the downside room in ternary precursor prices this week. 

SHFE nonferrous metals extended declines across the board on Thursday, in a broad sell-off amid renewed fears about the hit to global demand from the coronavirus. Copper fell to its daily limit for the second consecutive day, losing 9% on Thursday, as the metal is seen by investors as a gauge of economic health. Scheduled output controls at some copper mines failed to lend support to the prices. 

SHFE nonferrous metals closed mostly lower on Monday as downbeat industrial data from China and emergency interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve underscored the potentially crippling blow of the coronavirus pandemic to the global economy.