Nickel Ore Inventories at Chinese Ports down 7,000 wmt on Week

Published: May 20, 2022 17:48
Source: SMM
As of May 20, the nickel ore inventory at Chinese ports dipped 7,000 wmt from a week earlier to 5,363,000 wmt. The total Ni content decreased by 50 wmt.

SHANGHAI, May 20 (SMM) - As of May 20, the nickel ore inventory at Chinese ports dipped 7,000 wmt from a week earlier to 5,363,000 wmt. The total Ni content decreased by 50 wmt. The total inventory at seven major ports across China stood at 2.231 million wmt, 23,000 wmt higher than the previous week. The port inventory of nickel ore dropped slightly, which is at a historically low level. The main reason is that the shipment of nickel ore from the Philippines was reduced by the poor weather conditions. At the same time, some preliminary orders were not delivered, and NPI plants with a low in-plant inventory of nickel ore consumed raw material quickly, hence the arrival of nickel ore at ports could not increase. The inventory at Lanshan, Lanqiao and Tieshan Port dropped sharply, while the inventory at Jingtang and Lianyungang Port increased. It is expected that the port inventory of nickel ore may increase slightly, and the shipment from the Philippines is of utmost concern.



Disclaimer:

The above representation and data is based on market information SMM believes to be reliable at the time of acquiring as well as the comprehensive assessment by SMM research team, and any and all information provided in this article is for reference only. This article does not constitute a direct recommendation for investment or any decisions in any form and clients shall act on their own discreet and any decisions made by clients are not within the responsibility of SMM.

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
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
Apr 3, 2026 19:34
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
Read More
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
[SMM Nickel Flash News] Based on the cash cost of high-grade NPI calculated using nickel ore prices from 25 days earlier, profits at high-grade NPI smelters came under pressure during the week, with the sector as a whole remaining in a state of losses or marginal profitability. It is expected that next week, prices of auxiliary materials on the raw material side may remain flat, while the decline in nickel ore prices will likely be limited. High-grade NPI prices will still be under pressure amid back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, and smelter profits will be unlikely to see any significant improvement.
Apr 3, 2026 19:34
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Apr 3, 2026 19:31
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Read More
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
[SMM Nickel Flash] This week, the price center of refined nickel moved lower, while high-grade NPI prices remained stable. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel narrowed to 262.4 yuan/nickel unit. High-grade NPI prices were expected to remain under pressure next week, while refined nickel prices were expected to continue their downward trend. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel was expected to continue narrowing, and the driver for conversion of NPI to high-grade nickel matte weakened.
Apr 3, 2026 19:31
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
Apr 3, 2026 19:30
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
Read More
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
[SMM Nickel Flash] The average SMM price of 10-12% high-grade NPI fell WoW by 1 yuan/nickel unit to 1,082.5 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included), while the average price of Indonesia's NPI FOB index fell WoW by $0.02/nickel unit to $136.58/nickel unit. The high-grade NPI market generally remained stable, and after the transaction center stabilized, the market entered a state of back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, with prices under pressure in the short term.
Apr 3, 2026 19:30