EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 02/05: SHFE base metals prices broadly down; US extends deadline for Rusal divestiture; EU, others exempted from 232 will get quotas

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday May 2.

Base metal prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly down during trading on Wednesday after the dollar strengthened significantly on Tuesday.

Aluminium prices were also under pressure from easing supply concerns following the latest sanction and trade policy developments in the United States.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 06:09 am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price ($ per tonne) Change since previous session’s close ($)
Copper 6,820 75
Aluminium 2,250 5
Lead 2,321 28
Zinc 3,090.50 38.5
Tin 21,130 -75
Nickel 13,845 195

SHFE snapshot at 1:09 pm Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price (yuan per tonne) Change since previous session’s close (yuan)
Copper (Jun) 51,030 -530
Aluminium (Jun) 14,420 -60
Zinc (Jun) 23,780 -170
Lead (Jun) 18,510 140
Tin  (Sep) 146,780 -920
Nickel  (Jul) 103,850 -890

The US has given investors an additional month to divest or transfer their holdings in sanctioned Russian companies, including UC Rusal, according to a statement from the US Department of the Treasury on Tuesday.

The European Union and all nations exempted from the Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs will be subject to quotas, US President Donald Trump’s top trade adviser said.

Some US secondary aluminium alloy prices have continued to move higher due to lingering raw material cost pressures and tight supply, although a cooling off in the terminal markets is eroding some of the upward momentum.

Spot zinc concentrate treatment charges basis CIF to major East Asian ports remained flat while lead concentrate terms declined marginally in April.

Spot treatment and refining charges for copper concentrates firmed moderately in the last two weeks of April, with the market continuing to weigh strong, short-term market availability against potential major disruptions in the coming months.

The United States has postponed imposing Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imported from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, until June 1.

What to read next
Half a million tonnes of copper is sitting in US warehouses, and the traders who put it there are starting to wonder whether they’ve built a hedge, or a trap.
European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.
The assessment, which currently follows the UK holiday calendar, will follow the Singapore holiday calendar after the proposed change. There will be no change to the publication timing, and the assessment will continue to be published weekly on Wednesdays, at 7pm Singapore time. The purpose of the adjustment is to align the timing to the […]
JX Advanced Metals, Mitsui Kinzoku, Marubeni and Mitsubishi Materials(MMC) inked a deal to integrate MMC's copper concentrate procurement and related products sales business into Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), marking a significant consolidation of Japan's copper concentrate purchasing sector amid persistent pressure from weak treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs).
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
Copper producers, including Atlas Mining, reported higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of elevated copper prices, while concentrate output declined at several operations in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines due to lower ore grades and disruptions, according to company results reviewed by Fastmarkets.