China’s copper cathode output increased month on month in October, as there was basically no maintenance at smelters and as large-scale smelters maintained high production in Q4. Although domestic copper scrap was in short supply in October, smelters kept relatively ample stocks of blister copper. Furthermore, as the new secondary copper policy took effect from November 1, concerns over copper scrap supply were eased.

This is a roundup of China's base metals output in April 2020, from an exclusive survey of key producers by SMM analysts.

While prices of the material will continue to see some upsides potential in April, the pessimistic outlook for downstream demand at home and abroad under the cloud of the coronavirus will depress upward momentum of battery-grade nickel sulphate prices in the month ahead.

SHFE nonferrous metals rose across the board on Friday, as market sentiment was rallied after China’s Ministry of Finance pledged to make an early allocation of the special-purpose bond quotas for transportation infrastructure construction. 

Crude oil prices jumped on Thursday, following their biggest-ever quarterly losses, as US President Donald Trump said he expected Saudi Arabia and Russia to reach a deal soon to end their oil price war.

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.

Shanghai base metals opened mostly higher on Wednesday morning, as Beijing said that it will roll out a set of fiscal and financial policies to expand domestic demand, assist businesses reopening, sustain employment, and help all types of businesses to weather this difficult time.

Papua New Guinea has banned vessels from calling at its ports to load cargoes after the largest Pacific Island nation declared a state of emergency last week

Inventories of refined nickel in the Shanghai bonded areas fell this week as the import arbitrage window opened earlier in the week. SMM data showed that inventories of pure nickel in the Shanghai bonded areas declined 500 mt in the week ended March 27 to 19,300 mt, with stocks of briquette shrinking 200 mt to 2,000 mt.

SHFE copper and nickel declined and other base metals rose marginally on Thursday following two days of rallies. Remerged concerns about a coronavirus-driven global recession saw copper give up gains, despite the passage of a $2 trillion stimulus package in the US aimed at offsetting the economic fallout from the coronavirus.