SMM Weekly Maintenance Summary on April 7

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Ferrochrome Market Temporarily Stable, Chrome Ore Prices Unchanged] April 8, 2026: The ferrochrome and chrome ore markets saw limited fluctuations...

HRC futures dipped before rebounding today, with the most-traded contract closing at 3,282, up 0.06% WoW. Spot market side, market quotations showed mixed performance, overall trading was relatively lackluster, though transactions at lower prices were moderate. In terms of supply, the impact from maintenance on hot-rolled production was 106,400 mt this week, down 88,800 mt WoW, while next week's hot-rolled maintenance impact is expected to be 11.7 mt, an increase of 10,600 mt WoW, with overall supply still on an increasing trajectory. Demand side, end-user purchase enthusiasm was unlikely to exceed expectations, with most purchases made on an as-needed basis at lower prices. Inventory side, mainstream city inventory data was released today, with varied performance across markets....

HRC futures first dipped then rallied today. The most-traded contract closed at 3,282, up 0.06% WoW. Spot market side, market quotations showed mixed performance, with overall trading activity being relatively lackluster, though transactions at lower prices were moderate. In terms of supply, the impact from maintenance on hot-rolled production was 106,400 mt this week, down 88,800 mt WoW. Next week, the impact from maintenance on hot-rolled production is expected to be 11.7 mt, up 10,600 mt WoW, with overall supply still on an increasing trend. Demand side, end-user purchasing enthusiasm was unlikely to exceed expectations, with most purchases being need-based at lower prices. Inventory side, mainstream city inventory data was released today. Performance varied across markets, but overall destocking outpaced inventory buildup, and the overall destocking trend is likely to continue. Looking ahead, the US-Iran conflict reportedly entered the final stage of detail finalisation today. Attention should be paid to the impact of subsequent international disruptions on the raw material side. Meanwhile, the conclusion of the US-Iran conflict may boost market confidence in exports. In the short term, the most-traded HRC futures contract is expected to maintain a fluctuating trend of moving sideways.