EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 16/03: SHFE zinc, lead prices marginally up; US Ali tariff impact felt globally; EU demands action on 232 tariffs

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Shanghai as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Friday March 16.

The base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly lower during Asian morning trading on Friday. Zinc and sister metal lead bucked the general weakness, however, albeit with marginal gains.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 02.02am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
Price ($ per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close ($)
Copper 6,908 -12
Aluminium 2,087 2
Lead 2,401 -9
Zinc 3,227 -8
Tin 20,990 -35
Nickel 13,585 -45

SHFE snapshot at 10.02am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
Price (yuan per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close (yuan)
Copper (May) 51,890 -230
Aluminium (May) 13,975 -20
Zinc (May) 24,895 35
Lead (May) 18,520 60
Tin (May) 144,440 -470
Nickel (July) 102,910 -910

The impact of the 10% aluminium tariff signed into law by US President Donald Trump on March 8 is already being felt on prices and premiums worldwide, and is affecting aluminium flows globally.

The prospect of a grand bargain between the European Union, the United States and Japan involving action to reduce steel and aluminium overproduction while abiding by global trading laws has been raised.

Wire rod prices have gone up in the US since domestic mills raised prices by $50 per ton ($2.50 per hundredweight), but the timing and full effect of that increase is still uncertain, market participants said.

The copper scrap market in the US is beginning to show signs of a renewed supply and demand equilibrium, propelled largely by aggressive offshore demand that has helped whittle down the supply accumulation witnessed in the fourth quarter.

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.