Shanghai Nonferrous Metals News
SMM: China produced 50.7 kt Ni in July 2019, up 2.57% on-month and up 49.13% on-year. The year-on-year increase was contributed by large-scale maintenance at smelters; a result of environmental inspections in June-July last year. High grade NPI output in July increased by 3.18% from June to 43.5 kt Ni, thanks to the commissioning of new furnaces in Jiangsu and Liaoning, and to the resumption of production in Shandong. July’s output of low grade NPI reduced by 0.97% to 7.2 kt Ni, chiefly due to production cuts by northern smelters.
China’s NPI output is expected to increase by 3.49% to 52.5 kt Ni in August, with high grade NPI output 45.3 kt Ni, up 4.06%, mainly due to continually increasing output in Liaoning and resumed production in Inner Mongolia. August’s low grade NPI output is expected to be flat compared with July, at 7.2 kt Ni.
