logo
Shanghai metals rise after China vows to shore up industrial growth

Shanghai metals rise after China vows to shore up industrial growth

SINGAPORE: The most-traded metals contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose on Monday after China's industry ministry last week vowed to stabilise the machinery, autos and electrical equipment sectors.
China will roll out action plans to stabilise growth in these industrial sectors, Tao Qing, an official from the ministry, said on Friday.
The move is designed to "improve premium supply capacity" to set up the industry for an effective upgrade in quality terms and reasonable growth as measured by quantities, while promoting an "orderly exit of outdated production capacity", Tao added.
SHFE zinc gained the most, rising 2.69 per cent to 22,900 yuan (US$3,190.48) a ton as of 0102 GMT. Earlier, the contract hit 22,915 yuan, the highest since May 14.
SHFE nickel added 1.25 per cent to 121,750 yuan, aluminium gained 1.17 per cent to 20,745 yuan, lead grew 1.04 per cent to 16,990 yuan, copper rose 0.87 per cent to 78,990 yuan and tin advanced 0.56 per cent to 265,390 yuan.
"What China's industrial ministry said has been encouraging for metals in general," a Beijing-based metals analyst at a futures company said, adding, "Industrial sectors are all very relevant to metals."
In addition to the downstream industries, the action plan will cover 10 key industries, including steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals and construction materials, the ministry noted.
"Metals in general have responded positively to the news, and whichever with more room for price growths will strengthen more remarkably," a Shanghai-based metals analyst at a futures company said.
On Monday, LME metals fluctuated narrowly, after Friday's surge, with zinc up 0.5 per cent to US$2,832.5 per ton. Earlier in the session, it touched US$2,837, the highest since April 1.
LME aluminium rose 0.15 per cent to US$2,633.5, lead gained 0.13 per cent to US$33,490, nickel added 0.11 per cent to US$15,235, while lead eased 0.1 per cent to US$2,008. Copper traded flat at US$9,776.5 after touching US$9,777 on Friday, the highest since July 8.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BOJ may paint less gloomy view, signal rate-hike resumption
BOJ may paint less gloomy view, signal rate-hike resumption

New Straits Times

time24 minutes ago

  • New Straits Times

BOJ may paint less gloomy view, signal rate-hike resumption

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is set to hold off raising interest rates on Thursday, but may offer a less gloomy view on the outlook after Tokyo's trade agreement with the United States last week, signalling rate hikes may resume later this year. Receding global trade tensions following Sunday's agreement between the US and the European Union add relief for BOJ policymakers on the outlook of Japan's export-heavy economy. But the BOJ is likely to warn of lingering uncertainty on how US tariffs affect business activity, with the hit to exports seen intensifying later this year, analysts say. "It's very big progress that reduces uncertainty for Japan's economy – but obviously, some uncertainty remains," BOJ Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said last week on the Japan-US trade deal. Uchida noted questions around how soon Washington strikes trade deals with other countries, how the tariffs affect domestic and global economies, and how long it could take for the tariffs' effects to be seen in hard data. At the two-day meeting ending on Thursday, the BOJ is widely expected to keep short-term interest rates steady at 0.5 per cent. Markets are focusing on the bank's quarterly outlook report and Governor Kazuo Ueda's post-meeting news conference for clues on the timing of the next rate hike. A Reuters poll, taken before last week's Japan-US trade deal announcement, showed a majority of economists expect the BOJ to raise rates again by year-end. In the quarterly report, the BOJ is likely to revise up this fiscal year's inflation forecast due to persistent rises in rice and other food costs, sources have told Reuters. The BOJ may also tweak its current view that risks to the price outlook were skewed to the downside, and offer a less gloomy view on the economy compared with the current one focused on tariff-induced risks, according to separate sources. The board is likely to maintain its view that inflation will durably hit its 2.0 per cent target in the latter half of its three-year projection period running through fiscal 2027, they said. In current projections made on May 1, the BOJ projects core consumer inflation to hit 2.2 per cent in fiscal 2025, before slowing to 0.7 per cent in 2026 and 0.9 per cent in 2027. Japan struck a trade deal with President Donald Trump last week that lowers US tariffs for imports of goods including its mainstay automobiles, easing the pain for the export-reliant economy and clearing a key hurdle for further BOJ rate hikes. The positive development contrasts with the gloom that surrounded the economy on May 1, when the BOJ produced its current estimates amid heightened market volatility caused by Trump's April announcement of sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs. The BOJ exited a decade-long, massive stimulus last year and raised its short-term policy rate to 0.5 per cent in January on the view Japan was progressing towards durably achieving its price goal. With rising food costs hurting households and keeping inflation above its 2.0 per cent target for three years, some hawkish board members have highlighted mounting price pressures that could justify resuming rate hikes.

Oil prices rise as US-EU trade deal eases demand concerns
Oil prices rise as US-EU trade deal eases demand concerns

The Sun

time24 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Oil prices rise as US-EU trade deal eases demand concerns

SINGAPORE: Oil prices edged higher on Monday as optimism over a US-EU trade deal and potential US-China tariff negotiations eased concerns about economic slowdowns impacting fuel demand. Brent crude futures rose 22 cents to $68.66 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 22 cents to $65.38. 'The US-EU trade deal and possible extension of the US-China tariff pause are supporting global financial markets and oil prices,' said IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore. The agreement imposes a 15% tariff on most EU goods, avoiding a larger trade war between the two economic powerhouses. US and Chinese negotiators are set to meet in Stockholm to discuss extending a tariff truce ahead of an August 12 deadline. Meanwhile, Venezuela's state-run PDVSA is preparing to resume operations under Biden-era licenses if US sanctions are lifted, potentially increasing global supply. OPEC+ is expected to keep its current output policy unchanged at Monday's meeting, with eight members already set to increase production by 548,000 barrels per day in August. Analysts note that summer demand is helping absorb additional supply, with global oil demand rising by 600,000 bpd in July. In the Middle East, Yemen's Houthis warned of targeting ships linked to Israeli ports, adding geopolitical risks that could influence oil markets. - Reuters

US-China tariff talks resume in Stockholm to extend trade truce
US-China tariff talks resume in Stockholm to extend trade truce

The Sun

time24 minutes ago

  • The Sun

US-China tariff talks resume in Stockholm to extend trade truce

STOCKHOLM: US and Chinese economic officials will hold fresh talks in Stockholm on Monday to negotiate an extension of their tariff truce, aiming to prevent a sharp escalation in trade barriers and pave the way for a potential meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this year. The discussions follow a temporary pause in trade hostilities after May and June agreements eased tensions, but an August 12 deadline looms for a more permanent deal. Without progress, US tariffs on Chinese goods could revert to triple-digit levels, disrupting global supply chains. 'We're very close to a deal with China. We really sort of made a deal with China, but we'll see how that goes,' Trump told reporters on Sunday, hinting at cautious optimism. The Stockholm talks come shortly after the US and EU struck a major trade deal, reducing tariffs on European goods and securing large-scale US energy purchases. However, analysts expect no immediate breakthrough in US-China negotiations, predicting instead a 90-day extension of the current truce. Previous discussions in Geneva and London focused on lowering retaliatory tariffs and restoring trade in critical goods like rare earth minerals and AI chips. Yet, deeper economic disputes—such as US concerns over China's export-driven model and Beijing's objections to US tech export controls—remain unresolved. 'Geneva and London were really just about trying to get the relationship back on track so that they could, at some point, actually negotiate about the issues which animate the disagreement between the countries in the first place,' said Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A potential Trump-Xi meeting in late October could provide momentum for further concessions. China may push for reduced US tariffs and eased tech restrictions, while the US seeks increased Chinese purchases of American goods to narrow the trade deficit, which hit $295.5 billion in 2024. - Reuters

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store