Most metals fell, with SHFE nickel dropping nearly 1%, while silicon metal and coking coal rose over 1%. SHFE gold and the European container shipping index led the declines [SMM midday review]

SMM, June 17:

Metal Market:

As of the midday close, domestic base metals generally fell, with SHFE nickel down 0.96%. SHFE copper rose 0.24%, and SHFE aluminum edged up. SHFE zinc slightly declined, while SHFE lead and SHFE tin fell 0.18% and 0.39%, respectively.

In addition, the main continuous futures contract for foundry aluminum rose 0.62%, and the main continuous contract for alumina increased 0.28%. Lithium carbonate rose 0.67%, silicon metal rose 1.1%, and polysilicon rose 0.24%.

The ferrous metals series showed mixed performance, with iron ore down 0.21%, rebar edging up, and HRC slightly declining. Stainless steel fell 0.36%. In terms of coking coal and coke: coking coal rose 1.02%, and coke rose 0.92%.

In the overseas metal market, as of 11:42 a.m., LME metals all fell, with LME copper, LME tin, LME aluminum, and LME nickel all declining within 0.5%. LME aluminum fell 0.6%, and LME zinc fell 0.7%.

In precious metals, as of 11:42 a.m., COMEX gold fell 0.42%, and COMEX silver fell 0.3%. Domestically, SHFE gold fell 1.54%, and SHFE silver edged up. Citi predicts that gold prices will fall due to weak demand and a US Fed interest rate cut. Citi said that gold prices will pull back to below $3,000 per ounce in the coming quarters.

As of the midday close, the most-traded contract for the European container shipping index fell 1.71%, closing at 2031.5.

As of 11:42 a.m. on June 17, the midday futures market movements for some contracts were as follows:

》SMM Metal Spot Prices on June 17

Spot and Fundamentals

Zinc: Today, the mainstream transaction prices for 0# zinc were concentrated in the range of 21,940-22,105 yuan/mt, with Shuangyan zinc trading at 22,060-22,235 yuan/mt, and 1# zinc mainly trading at 21,870-22,035 yuan/mt. In the morning session, the market offered premiums of 0-20 yuan/mt against the average price, with no quotes against the contract price... 》Click for details

Macro Front

Domestic:

[US exhibitors at the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo increase by 15% from the previous edition] The 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo will be held in Beijing from July 16 to July 20, with the theme of "Connecting the World, Creating a Shared Future". This morning (June 17), the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the preparations for the 3rd Expo. Li Xingqian, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, introduced that the number of US exhibitors at the 3rd Expo increased by 15% from the previous edition, continuing to rank first among overseas exhibitors. Relevant leaders from institutions such as the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the US Soybean Export Council, and the US Grains Council expressed that China is a very important market, and US companies are willing to continue investing in China, participating in China's economic growth and innovation, and making progress together with the Chinese market and development. Li Xingqian stated that the essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Advancing mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the US aligns with the common interests of the business communities in both countries. (Cailian Press)

[The PBOC Conducts RMB197.3 Billion in 7-Day Reverse Repo Operations Today] The People's Bank of China (PBOC) conducted RMB197.3 billion in 7-day reverse repo operations today, with an operating interest rate of 1.40%, unchanged from the previous rate. RMB198.6 billion in reverse repos matured today.

►On June 17, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar in the interbank foreign exchange market was 7.1746 RMB per US dollar.

US dollar:

As of 11:42, the US dollar index fell by 0.01% to 98.14. The market is looking forward to a series of monetary policy decisions from multiple central banks this week, with a primary focus on the US Fed. It is widely expected that the Fed will maintain interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of its policy meeting on Wednesday. Comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell following the Fed's interest rate decision will be closely monitored for clues regarding the path of interest rate cuts.

Other currencies:

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) released its latest monetary policy statement, maintaining its policy interest rate unchanged at 0.5% and slowing the pace of reducing its bond purchases. Starting from April 2026, the BOJ will reduce its bond purchases by JPY200 billion each quarter. The BOJ stated that the Japanese economy is experiencing a mild recovery, although there are still signs of weakness. (Cailian Press)

Data:

Today, data including the BOJ's policy benchmark interest rate for June 17, the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index for the Eurozone and Germany in June, the monthly and annual rates of the US import price index for May, the monthly rates of US retail sales and core retail sales for May, the annual rate of US retail sales for May, the monthly rate of the US retail sales control group associated with GDP, seasonally adjusted, for May, the monthly rate of US industrial production for May, the capacity utilisation rate of the US for May, the monthly rate of US manufacturing output for May, the manufacturing capacity utilisation rate of the US for May, and the annual rate of US industrial production, seasonally adjusted, for May, will be released. Additionally, it is noteworthy that RMB182 billion in 1-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans mature today; BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda will hold a monetary policy press conference; the BOJ will announce its interest rate decision; and US President Trump will visit Canada from June 15 to 17 to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit.

Crude oil:

Both WTI and Brent crude oil futures rose. As of 11:42, WTI crude oil increased by 0.47%, and Brent crude oil increased by 0.44%. Heightened tensions in the Middle East have increased the likelihood of deeper instability and disruptions to oil supplies in the region, supporting oil prices.

OPEC and its allies, including Russia (OPEC+), stated on Monday that the global economy is expected to remain resilient in the second half of this year. OPEC also revised down its forecast for the growth in oil supply from the US and other non-OPEC countries in 2026. (Webstock Inc.)

Spot Market Overview:

►Spot premiums surged significantly after contract rollover, but downstream procurement remained moderate. [SMM South China Spot Copper]

►Trading performance in the spot market was sluggish, with downstream players focusing on executing long-term contracts. [SMM North China Spot Copper]

►Shanghai Zinc: Futures market edged higher, with downstream players resuming wait-and-see stance. [SMM Midday Review]

►Ningbo Zinc: Imports at low prices exert pressure, with premiums continuing to decline. [SMM Midday Review]

Midday reviews for other metal spot markets will be updated later. Please refresh to view.