Report Investment Rating No investment rating information is provided in the report. Core Viewpoints - For crude oil, considering the unclear results of the US - Iran negotiations, the lack of clear OPEC production - increase data, and the shale - oil bottom - support effect, it's not advisable to chase short positions even if the negotiations are successful. Short - term observation is recommended [1]. - For methanol, with weakening inland prices, stable coal, and the return of previously shut - down plants, supply pressure is high. Although downstream profits are improving, the overall supply - demand pattern is weak, and short - selling on rallies is recommended. For cross - variety trading, consider going long on the 09 - contract PP - 3MA spread on dips [3]. - For urea, with high supply and lukewarm demand, there's no clear price trend. It's recommended to observe the market due to the low basis [5]. - For rubber, the market is weak. A neutral approach with short - term trading is advised, and pay attention to the band - trading opportunity of going long on RU2601 and short on RU2509 [8][9]. - For PVC, although inventory is declining rapidly, the supply - strong and demand - weak situation is expected to continue, leading to a weak - oscillation trend. However, beware of rebounds if the weak export expectation doesn't materialize [10]. - For polyethylene, the price may oscillate. The supply side may face pressure from new capacity in Q2, and the demand side is entering a seasonal off - peak [13][14]. - For polypropylene, it's expected to be bearish in June. The supply side has planned capacity releases, and the demand side is in a seasonal off - peak [15]. - For PX, the de - stocking may slow down in June, but it will re - enter the de - stocking cycle in Q3. It's expected to oscillate at the current valuation level [17]. - For PTA, it will continue to de - stock, and the processing fee is supported. The absolute price is expected to oscillate at the current valuation [18][19]. - For ethylene glycol, the industry is in the de - stocking phase, but there's a risk of valuation correction as the supply - side maintenance season ends [20]. Summaries by Industry Crude Oil - **Price**: WTI rose $0.30 (0.48%) to $63.34; Brent rose $0.49 (0.75%) to $65.61; INE rose 18.40 yuan (4.14%) to 462.5 yuan [1]. - **Inventory**: At the Fujairah port, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and total refined oil inventories decreased by 4.69%, 36.81%, 18.14%, and 14.88% respectively [1]. Methanol - **Price**: On June 3, the 09 - contract rose 17 yuan/ton to 2225 yuan/ton, and the spot price rose 28 yuan/ton with a basis of +50 [3]. - **Supply - demand**: Domestic supply will increase, and imports in June will rise significantly. The port MTO plant restarted, while traditional demand weakened [3]. Urea - **Price**: On June 3, the 09 - contract fell 12 yuan/ton to 1761 yuan/ton, and the spot price was flat with a basis of +79 [5]. - **Supply - demand**: Domestic production reached a record high, and short - term supply will remain high. Compound fertilizer production is ending, and agricultural demand will increase. Exports may improve slightly [5]. Rubber - **Price**: NR and RU continued to decline [7]. - **Supply - demand**: Bulls believe factors in Southeast Asia may lead to production cuts, while bears think macro expectations are poor, demand is flat, and new supply may increase [8]. - **Operation**: A neutral approach with short - term trading is recommended, and pay attention to the band - trading opportunity of going long on RU2601 and short on RU2509 [9]. PVC - **Price**: The PVC09 contract fell 19 yuan to 4745 yuan, and the spot price was 4670 yuan/ton with a basis of - 75 [10]. - **Supply - demand**: The overall start - up rate increased, while downstream demand decreased. Inventories decreased, but the supply - strong and demand - weak situation persists [10]. Polyethylene - **Price**: Futures prices rose, and the spot price was unchanged. The basis weakened by 3 yuan/ton [12][13][14]. - **Supply - demand**: The supply side may face pressure from new capacity in Q2, and the demand side is in a seasonal off - peak [14]. Polypropylene - **Price**: Futures prices rose, and the spot price was unchanged. The basis weakened by 9 yuan/ton [15]. - **Supply - demand**: There are planned capacity releases in June, and the demand side is in a seasonal off - peak [15]. PX - **Price**: The PX09 contract fell 94 yuan to 6524 yuan, and the CFR price fell 18 dollars to 824 dollars [17]. - **Supply - demand**: The maintenance season is ending. De - stocking may slow down in June but will resume in Q3 due to new PTA plant startups [17]. PTA - **Price**: The PTA09 contract fell 72 yuan to 4628 yuan, and the spot price fell 30 yuan/ton [18]. - **Supply - demand**: The supply side is in the maintenance season, and the demand side has low inventory and is expected to continue de - stocking [18]. Ethylene Glycol - **Price**: The EG09 contract fell 43 yuan to 4306 yuan, and the spot price fell 16 yuan [20]. - **Supply - demand**: The industry is in the de - stocking phase, but there's a risk of valuation correction as the supply - side maintenance season ends [20].

Group 1 - Thailand has postponed rubber tapping by one month, which may influence rubber prices [1] - The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of potential flash flood risks in the future, raising concerns for traders [1] - There are questions regarding whether bullish traders can confidently engage in trading amid production cut expectations [1]

Report Title - "Steel and Ore Weekly Report 2025 - 04 - 28: Production Cut Expectations Released, Black Market Oscillates Strongly" [1] Report Main Viewpoints Steel - Price: Spot prices stopped falling and rebounded, while the futures market oscillated strongly [7] - Supply: Blast furnace production resumed beyond expectations, and electric furnace production increased slightly [7] - Inventory: The de - stocking speed of building materials inventory slowed down, and plate inventory followed the same trend [7] - Demand: The month - on - month growth rate of building materials demand slowed down, and plate demand was stronger domestically than internationally [7] - Profit: Blast furnace profits expanded, while electric furnace losses widened [7] - Basis: The basis widened slightly, and it was recommended to take profit on long - short spreads [7] - Summary: Trade conflicts were still stalemated but overall cooled down. Domestic policies were neutral. The industry saw an acceleration in blast furnace resumption and an increase in overall supply. Demand growth slowed down, and inventory de - stocking speed decreased. The market was expected to oscillate. Strategies included reducing short positions before the holiday and looking for short - selling opportunities after the holiday [7] Iron Ore - Price: Ore prices rose slightly, and the futures market rebounded weakly [7] - Supply: Shipments from Australia and Brazil were flat, and arrivals decreased significantly [7] - Demand: Blast furnace production increased, and demand was released beyond expectations [7] - Inventory: Port inventory increased slightly, and downstream inventory changed little [7] - Shipping: Shipping prices both increased [7] - Spread: The futures spread was flat, and the variety spread changed little [7] - Summary: There were rumors of significant crude steel production cuts in China. Supply tightened, demand increased, and port inventory rebounded. The market rebounded weakly due to production cut expectations. A long - term bearish view was maintained, with short positions reduced before the holiday and caution against policy impacts [7] Steel Weekly Market Tracking Price - Last week, rebar futures rebounded weakly, with the main contract rising 0.81% to close at 3101. Spot prices oscillated upwards, with East China rebar at 3190 yuan/ton, up 50 yuan/week. Market sentiment improved, and spot trading volume increased [14] Supply - The blast furnace operating rate of 247 steel mills was 84.33%, up 0.77 percentage points week - on - week and 4.60 percentage points year - on - year. The blast furnace iron - making capacity utilization rate was 91.6%, up 1.45 percentage points week - on - week [17] - The average daily hot metal output of 247 steel mills increased significantly. Rebar short - process production decreased due to profit issues. The average operating rate of 90 independent electric arc furnace steel mills was 74.93%, down 0.14 percentage points week - on - week and up 9.51 percentage points year - on - year. Capacity utilization was 56.66%, up 0.33 percentage points week - on - week and 6.17 percentage points year - on - year [22][25] - Rebar production decreased slightly by 0.11 tons last week, mainly due to production conversion and maintenance in some provinces. Hot - rolled coil production increased by 3.1 tons to 317.5 tons, mainly in the north due to the resumption of previously shut - down mills [29] Demand - From April 16th to April 22nd, the national cement delivery volume was 352.05 tons, up 4.85% week - on - week and down 22.28% year - on - year. Infrastructure cement direct supply was 188 tons, up 2.73% week - on - week and down 1.05% year - on - year. Terminal demand growth slowed down due to the drag of the real estate sector, while speculative demand increased due to production cut rumors [32] - In March, the industrial added value of large - scale industries increased by 7.7% year - on - year. The downstream capacity utilization of hot - rolled coils decreased due to export tariffs, and market orders were affected [35] Profit - The blast furnace profit rate of steel mills was 57.58%, up 2.60 percentage points week - on - week and 6.93 percentage points year - on - year. The average cost of 76 independent electric arc furnace building materials steel mills was 3349 yuan/ton, up 6 yuan/ton week - on - week. The average profit was a loss of 80 yuan/ton, and the off - peak electricity profit was 25 yuan/ton [40] Inventory - Rebar total inventory decreased by 40.9 tons week - on - week, with a decrease rate of 4.8%. Factory inventory decreased by 6.67 tons, and social inventory decreased in East, South, and North China. It was expected to continue de - stocking in May and start accumulating in June [43] - Hot - rolled coil factory inventory remained unchanged, and social inventory decreased in the South and East but increased in the North. The total inventory de - stocking speed slowed down due to increased supply and decreased terminal orders [46] Basis - The rebar 10 - contract basis was 99, 45 wider than last week. It was recommended to take profit on long - short spreads around 100 and exit all positions before the holiday [53] Inter - delivery Spread - The 10 - 1 spread was - 36, 1 more inverted than last week. The near - month building materials production peaked, and terminal demand growth slowed down. It was not recommended to intervene in the spread trading [56] Inter - variety Spread - The hot - rolled coil to rebar spread was 103 on the futures market, 2 narrower than last week, and 70 in the spot market, 10 narrower than last week. It was at a neutral level, and no trading was recommended [59] Iron Ore Weekly Market Tracking Price - Last week, iron ore prices rebounded from a low and then slightly corrected. The main contract rose 1.43% to close at 709. Spot prices also increased, with Qingdao Port PB fines rising 5 yuan to 761 yuan/ton. Steel mills' restocking demand increased, and trading volume expanded [64] Supply - From April 14th to April 20th, the total iron ore shipments from Australia and Brazil were 2437.7 tons, up 2.9 tons week - on - week. Australian shipments were 1799.2 tons, up 92.9 tons, and the amount shipped to China was 1574.3 tons, up 98.0 tons. Brazilian shipments were 638.6 tons, down 89.9 tons. The global total shipments were 2925.5 tons, up 17.8 tons week - on - week [67] - The 47 - port iron ore arrivals were 2449.2 tons, down 168.7 tons week - on - week. The weekly average arrivals in April were 2475 tons, up 2.6 tons from March and 35 tons from last April [73] Rigid Demand - The average daily hot metal output of 247 sample steel mills was 244.35 tons/day, up 4.23 tons/day week - on - week, 19.2 tons/day from the beginning of the year, and 15.6 tons/day year - on - year. Demand was expected to remain high next week [76] Speculative Demand - Due to the easing of trade conflicts and the approaching May Day holiday, some traders and steel mills increased their restocking demand. The port iron ore spot trading volume continued to improve [79] Port Inventory - Last week, port inventory increased due to decreased port clearance. The 47 - port iron ore inventory was 14781 tons, up 231 tons week - on - week, 829.44 tons less than the beginning of the year, and 663.11 tons less than the same period last year. It was expected to slightly decrease next week [82] Downstream Inventory - The total inventory of imported sintered powder of 114 new - standard steel mills was 2771.39 tons, down 28.91 tons from the previous period. The total imported ore powder inventory increased by about 20 tons, and the overall change was not significant [85] Shipping - The shipping cost from Western Australia to China was 7.7 dollars/ton, up 0.66 dollars/ton, and from Brazil to China was 19.4 dollars/ton, up 0.57 dollars/ton [88] Spread - The 9 - 1 spread was 26, the same as last week, at a neutral - low level. The 09 contract discount was 76, a relatively high level, narrowing 2 last week. The variety spread trading had no clear direction [90][93]

1. Report Industry Investment Rating No relevant content provided. 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - Friday night's restart of production cut expectations led to simultaneous increases in steel futures and spot prices, as well as margin on the trading floor. Currently, the output of listed steel products is rising, while consumption has weakened month - on - month, mainly in building materials and sheet products. Attention should be paid to the rapid narrowing of the hot - cold spread and its potential impact on the weakening demand for hot - rolled coils. The supply - demand contradiction is accumulating, but it is not prominent at present. Market sentiment has improved compared to the previous period. In the short term, prices will fluctuate and consolidate. The price of rebar is expected to fluctuate between the flat - rate and off - peak electricity costs of electric furnaces. Considering significant policy disturbances, caution is advised for unilateral participation. A strategy to focus on the narrowing of the spread between hot - rolled coils and rebar in the far - end contracts can be considered [6]. 3. Summary According to Relevant Catalogs 3.1 Conclusion and Balance Sheet - In April, domestic steel spot prices showed mixed trends. The price of Shanghai rebar (32mm) was 3250 yuan/ton, up 60 yuan/ton from the end of March, while the price of Tangshan rebar was 3200 yuan/ton, down 80 yuan/ton. For hot - rolled coils, the price of Shanghai hot - rolled coils was 3260 yuan/ton, down 20 yuan/ton from the end of March, and the price of Tianjin hot - rolled coils was 3320 yuan/ton, also down 20 yuan/ton [3][4]. - As of April 24, the overall output of five major steel products increased by 3.13 tons, the factory inventory decreased by 9.01 tons, and the social inventory decreased by 41.4 tons. The apparent demand was 926.25 tons, down 22.39 tons month - on - month. As of April 25, in the long - process spot market, the cash - inclusive cost of long - process rebar in East China was 3069 yuan/ton, with a profit of about 121 yuan/ton, and the profit of hot - rolled coils was about 71 yuan/ton. In the electric - furnace market, the flat - rate electricity cost of electric furnaces in East China (Fubao's calculation) was about 3300 yuan/ton, and the off - peak electricity cost was about 3140 yuan/ton. The profit of rebar at flat - rate electricity was about - 200 yuan/ton, and at off - peak electricity was about - 40 yuan/ton [5]. - In 2024, the national crude steel output was 1.005 billion tons, a decrease of 13.99 million tons or 1.7% compared to 2023; the pig iron output was 852 million tons, a decrease of 13.27 million tons or 2.3% compared to 2023. From January to March 2025, the cumulative pig iron output was 216 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 0.8%, and the cumulative crude steel output was 259 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 0.6% [14]. 3.2 Supply - Demand Fundamentals 3.2.1 Supply - As of April 25, the blast furnace capacity utilization rate of 247 steel enterprises was 91.6%, an increase of 1.45 percentage points from April 18, and the daily average pig iron output was 244.4 tons, an increase of 4.23 tons [51]. - As of April 24, the capacity utilization rate of 89 independent electric - arc furnace enterprises was 33.7%, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points. The daily consumption of 255 sample steel mills was 53.8 tons, a decrease of 0.52 tons. Among them, the daily consumption of 132 long - process steel mills was 27.6 tons per day, an increase of 0.1 tons, and the daily consumption of short - process steel mills was 16 tons, a decrease of 0.75 tons. The daily arrival of 255 steel mills was 51.4 tons, an increase of 4.95 tons. The total scrap steel inventory of 255 steel enterprises was 527.8 tons, an increase of 6.97 tons or 1.3% [5]. - This week, the original sample rebar output was 229.11 tons, a decrease of 0.11 tons. Among them, the long - process output was 202.4 tons, an increase of 0.4 tons, and the short - process output was 26.71 tons, a decrease of 0.51 tons [66]. 3.2.2 Demand - As of April 24, the apparent demand for five major steel products was 926.25 tons, a decrease of 22.39 tons month - on - month [5]. - The real - estate 30 - city sales high - frequency data shows that the real - estate market continues to be sluggish, which has a negative impact on steel demand [78]. - The national cement mill operating rate has declined. The average national cement mill operating rate was 49.04%, a decrease of 1.83 percentage points from the previous week, and the decline rate widened by 1.49 percentage points, indicating insufficient demand [77]. 3.2.3 Inventory - As of April 24, the total inventory of five major steel products decreased. The factory inventory decreased by 9.01 tons, and the social inventory decreased by 41.4 tons [5]. - This period, the original sample rebar factory inventory was 193.73 tons, a decrease of 6.67 tons, the social inventory was 508.6 tons, a decrease of 24.16 tons, and the total inventory was 702.33 tons, a decrease of 30.83 tons [82]. - This week, the hot - rolled coil output was 317.5 tons, an increase of 3.1 tons. The apparent demand was 324.36 tons, an increase of 0.2 tons. The factory inventory decreased by 6.86 tons, the social inventory remained flat, and the total inventory decreased by 6.86 tons [85]. 3.2.4 Price - In April, domestic steel spot prices showed mixed trends. The price of Shanghai rebar (32mm) was 3250 yuan/ton, up 60 yuan/ton from the end of March, while the price of Tangshan rebar was 3200 yuan/ton, down 80 yuan/ton. For hot - rolled coils, the price of Shanghai hot - rolled coils was 3260 yuan/ton, down 20 yuan/ton from the end of March, and the price of Tianjin hot - rolled coils was 3320 yuan/ton, also down 20 yuan/ton [4]. - As of April 27, the hot - cold spread in Shanghai was 530 yuan/ton, a decrease of 160 yuan/ton [92]. 3.2.5 Export - As of April 25, the FOB export price of China was 457 US dollars, and the export profit was + 6.6 US dollars, a decrease of 4.1 US dollars. The outbound volume of 32 major domestic ports was 294.99 tons, an increase of 1.98 tons [95].

Core Viewpoint - Japanese rubber prices are supported by rising oil prices, while Chinese rubber futures unexpectedly declined, raising concerns about potential production cuts due to extreme weather conditions in Thailand and Malaysia [1] Group 1: Market Trends - Japanese rubber prices are experiencing an upward trend due to the support from oil prices [1] - Chinese rubber main contracts have seen an unexpected decline, indicating potential market volatility [1] Group 2: Weather Impact - Extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures in Thailand and heavy rainfall in Malaysia, are raising questions about possible production cut expectations in the rubber industry [1]