MIIT: 84.1% of car production bases in China have resumed work

China’s sales of new energy passenger cars increased 25% month on month to 83,000 units in June, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released on Thursday. 

Global zinc concentrate market is very likely to be in a tight balance in 2020, compared to a slender surplus last year, as the production recovery from the Covid-19 crisis progresses slowly.

China’s imports of steel products soared last month as coronavirus containment measures dealt a hefty blow to foreign demand and pulled prices overseas lower. Data published by China’s General Administration of Customs on Tuesday showed that China imported 1.14 million mt of steel products in March, up 26.3% from a year earlier. Total imports in the first three months of 2020 came in at 3.18 million mt, with a year-over-year increase of 9.7%.

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Chinese silicon plants may face difficulties to resume production as scheduled in the wet season starting from June as the global widespread COVID-19 has disrupted the supply chain and led to a shortage of raw material wood charcoal. SMM learned that most silicon plants have conducted maintenance and tried to secure feedstock for the preparation of resumption.

China’s nickel ore imports from the Philippines, one of the major sources of ore supply, could be badly hit in April as the Philippines has suspended all mining operations in its nickel mining hub...

Prices of light and medium-to-heavy rare earth products mostly declined last week as the widespread COVID-19 overseas weakened investors’ prospects for demand and kept domestic consumers from...

China’s exports of consumer batteries showed signs of softening amid reduced overseas demand and COVID-19 lockdowns as the outbreak escalated in the European countries, the US, India and South Africa

Prices of rebar may continue to struggle against the headwind of slower-than-expected recovery of downstream demand as manpower issues constrain the construction progress even as the resumption rate of work for building and infrastructure projects has climbed to 86.05% as of March 25, showed an SMM survey. 

Risks of disruptions to global copper scrap supply chain are growing as world authorities put drastic measures, including travel restrictions and border shutdowns, to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Malaysia, the biggest copper scrap supplier to the top metals consumer China and the regional hub for non-ferrous metal scrap recycling in Southeast Asia, has announced a nationwide lockdown, which will remain in place until at least the middle of April.