Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: the price of raw materials and minerals will not rise sharply.

Published: May 20, 2020 15:29

SMM5 March 20: the Information Office of the State Council held a press conference on the morning of the 20th to introduce the situation related to the overall promotion of epidemic prevention and control, industrial transformation and upgrading, and promoting the stable development of the manufacturing communications industry. When asked, investment in China's mining industry fell by a large margin from January to April, reaching 9.2%. Among them, in addition to coal investment remains relatively stable, black, non-ferrous, non-metallic investment has declined by a large margin, what is the reason? Is there a sharp rise in the price of raw materials?

In response, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology said that investment in the mining industry, whether ferrous, non-ferrous or non-metallic, was declining from January to April, down 13% from January to April compared with the same period a year earlier. The main reason, we think, is that most of the mines are located in remote areas, affected by the epidemic, it is difficult for personnel to return to work, and it is relatively slow to return to work and return to production. In addition, coupled with the slowdown in the growth rate of downstream demand, the willingness of mining enterprises to invest has also been affected to a certain extent. I remember that in late February, I specially connected to Yichang, Hubei Province, to start the production work of spring ploughing and preparation for phosphate fertilizer. They also reflected that Hubei was a province rich in phosphate rock resources, and the biggest difficulty encountered at that time was that it was difficult for personnel to return to work and it was difficult for mines to transport out of the province. This is a typical example.

As for the recent orderly progress of domestic resumption of work and production, I think the decline in mine investment will be alleviated. Take the month-to-month comparison of investment from January to April. Although investment from January to April is also declining, the rate of decline is 5.8 and 23.3 percentage points lower than that in January and February, and the trend is from negative to positive. As for whether it will lead to a substantial price increase, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology does not think it will, because the prices of raw materials and ores depend not only on the prices of their own mines, but also on international ore prices. moreover, we rely on imports for most of the mines, and the proportion of domestic mines is less than 50%. In addition, with the increase of resumption of work and production in recent months, there has also been a shortage of effective demand. Under such circumstances, there is still a situation in which production exceeds demand, and there is no room and possibility for prices to rise significantly. We should also be full of confidence in the future. In accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and economic and social development, as long as domestic demand is really activated, it is believed that it will return to the normal level before the epidemic.

SMM "combination of period and present" training course

Registration contact: Lu Qingping, Iron and Steel Division of SMM

Tel: 021mur51595781 / 187MUE 1777MUE 4590

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 for 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
Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai Phase I 300,000 mt Copper Cathode Project Smelting Furnace Starts Production, Pyrometallurgy System Enters Furnace Drying Stage
19 hours ago
Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai Phase I 300,000 mt Copper Cathode Project Smelting Furnace Starts Production, Pyrometallurgy System Enters Furnace Drying Stage
Read More
Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai Phase I 300,000 mt Copper Cathode Project Smelting Furnace Starts Production, Pyrometallurgy System Enters Furnace Drying Stage
Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai Phase I 300,000 mt Copper Cathode Project Smelting Furnace Starts Production, Pyrometallurgy System Enters Furnace Drying Stage
At 9:58 on September 12, the core smelting furnace of the pyrometallurgy system at Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai Nonferrous Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd.'s multi-metal recovery project was successfully ignited, officially entering the furnace drying stage and marking a key step toward full-line commissioning and production. Public information shows that the Yingkou Jianfa Shenghai polymetallic complex gold-silver ore comprehensive recovery technology upgrade, relocation, and expansion project uses copper concentrates as its main raw material, with an overall planned capacity of 600,000 mt/year of copper cathode to be built in two phases, with capacity of 300,000 mt/year in each phase. Phase I is designed to produce 300,000 mt/year of copper cathode and 1.18 million mt/year of sulphuric acid, along with supporting systems for smelting, converting, anode refining, electrolysis, slag beneficiation, and precious metal recovery. After this ignition, the project will carry out standardized furnace drying and hot-state integrated trial runs across the entire system to verify equipment, instruments, interlocks, and automatic control systems. The project has not yet formally started raw material feeding and production; after furnace drying and system commissioning are completed, it will further advance the commissioning of Phase I's 300,000 mt/year copper cathode capacity. If the project is successfully brought into production, it is expected to increase copper smelting capacity in North China and further boost domestic demand for copper concentrate raw materials.
19 hours ago
Precious Metals Remain Range-Bound as Macro Enters Key Validation Window [SMM Precious Metals Macro Analysis]
Sep 11, 2026 17:43
Precious Metals Remain Range-Bound as Macro Enters Key Validation Window [SMM Precious Metals Macro Analysis]
Read More
Precious Metals Remain Range-Bound as Macro Enters Key Validation Window [SMM Precious Metals Macro Analysis]
Precious Metals Remain Range-Bound as Macro Enters Key Validation Window [SMM Precious Metals Macro Analysis]
Sep 11, 2026 17:43
Amigo Resources Reports PGM Values of Up to 7.07 ppm in Tanzania Processing Testwork​
Sep 11, 2026 16:30
Amigo Resources Reports PGM Values of Up to 7.07 ppm in Tanzania Processing Testwork​
Read More
Amigo Resources Reports PGM Values of Up to 7.07 ppm in Tanzania Processing Testwork​
Amigo Resources Reports PGM Values of Up to 7.07 ppm in Tanzania Processing Testwork​
[SMM Flash] Amigo Resources reported independent laboratory results from selected Tanzanian material showing combined PGM values of 6.94–7.07 ppm, alongside residual gold values of 3.27–3.47 ppm. The company said it is assessing the integration of proprietary PGM concentration technology into its processing flowsheets to target recovery from gravity tailings and other residual material. Amigo is also evaluating a pyrometallurgical copper-matte treatment route and has mobilised a small-scale furnace for further testwork.​ The programme could potentially establish PGMs as a recoverable by-product from Amigo's Tanzanian polymetallic material if subsequent metallurgical work demonstrates viable recoveries. However, the reported grades relate to selected test material and processing studies and do not constitute a compliant Mineral Resource, reserve or evidence of commercial-scale PGM production. Further metallurgical testing will therefore be important in determining whether the reported PGM content can translate into an economically recoverable product stream.
Sep 11, 2026 16:30
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: the price of raw materials and minerals will not rise sharply. - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)