SMM Forecast for Platinum and Palladium Demand in 2023

[ADC12 Price Daily Commentary: Aluminum Alloy Futures Move Sideways, Import Losses Continue to Narrow] The most-traded cast aluminum alloy 2611 futures contract bottomed out before midday today. It opened at 23,615 yuan in the morning session, quickly hit a low of 23,580 yuan after the open, then consolidated higher throughout the session, reaching an intraday high of 23,705 yuan in the final stretch before closing the morning at 23,680 yuan, up 15 yuan or 0.06% from yesterday's settlement price of 23,665 yuan.

[Tungsten Flash] SMM, September 7: Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, pursuant to the revised Export Trade Control Order, officially implemented export controls on high-end machine tool-related items on August 16, 2026. The revision was announced on June 16 and falls under dual-use item control measures within the Wassenaar Arrangement framework. The new rules place complete ultra-high-precision five-axis CNC machine tools, core parts such as linear encoders, rotary tables, and motorized spindles, as well as supporting services including equipment commissioning, system upgrades, original manufacturer maintenance, and remote technical support, under Category II export controls. Export licensing has shifted from bulk licensing to case-by-case approval, with the approval period extended to 45–180 days, and rejection rates are high for sensitive applications such as aerospace and semiconductors. Orders signed before August 16 may be fulfilled under a grace period until the end of 2026, while ordinary three-axis machine tools and basic five-axis machine tools are not subject to the controls.

Chile's Caserones copper-molybdenum mine was previously affected by extreme winter weather, experiencing two winter storms that disrupted power supply and site access, causing an actual impact on mine production. The impact of this event has now carried over from a short-term operational disruption into full-year output expectations: Lundin Mining subsequently lowered its full-year copper production guidance for Caserones from the original 130,000–140,000 tonnes to 120,000–130,000 tonnes. By-product molybdenum output is expected to come under pressure in tandem, though a specific molybdenum production guidance figure has not yet been separately disclosed.