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Iron ore prices continue to fall as China's deflation persists
Iron ore futures prices fell on Monday, as investors were weighed down by weak data from China, the top consumer. However, hopes for progress in trade negotiations between the two world's largest economies helped to limit losses. The daytime trading price of the most traded September iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was 703 yuan (US$97.83). As of 0711 GMT, the benchmark July iron ore traded on Singapore Exchange fell 0.74% to $94 per ton. China's producer deflation deepened In May, consumer prices continued to decline as the economy struggled with trade tensions. Three top U.S. aides to President Donald Trump will meet their Chinese counterparts on Monday in London for talks that aim to resolve a trade conflict between the two superpowers, which has been causing global markets to be on edge. The temporary agreement reached by both countries on 12 May in Geneva did not address the broader issues straining bilateral relations. The market is anxious to know if a final agreement will be reached, which would ease pressure on the global economy. Additionally, China's Imports of iron ore In May, steel consumption fell 4.9% compared to April as mills were cautious in purchasing seaborne cargoes, anticipating a seasonal slowdown. Analysts said that the high levels of hot metal production and falling iron ore inventories - which are indicators of demand for iron ore - served as a buffer to prevent a greater price drop. Coking coal and coke were both mixed on the DCE. The benchmark steel prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange are in a rangebound. The price of rebar, hot-rolled coil and wire rod were unchanged. Stainless steel was down by 0.47%. $1 = 7.1856 Chinese Yuan (Reporting and editing by Amy Lv, Lewis Jackson)
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Titan's CaratLane is expanding and opening more stores to cater to the growing demand for low-carat jewellery among young Indians
Titan Company's CaratLane, a brand owned by Titan Company, aims to exceed last year's revenue growth as Indians are warming up to lower-carat jewelry and the company plans to expand. CaratLane's and Kalyan Jewellers' Candere's brands that sell lower-carat jewelry are expanding rapidly as young Indians buy these pieces to adorn themselves in a nation that views jewellery traditionally as an investment. CaratLane introduced 9-carat jewelry around Valentine's Day in a country where 22-carat is the most popular gold. Candere will open 80 stores in India during the first year of the new fiscal year, which began April 1. This is the same number as the Kalyan outlets that are planned for the period. CaratLane, a larger company, plans to open 40 outlets in India, mostly in smaller towns. CaratLane, which had 322 shops as of the end of March, was the second largest jewellery brand within the Tata Group in terms store count. Titan's revenue is influenced by the brand to a degree of 6%. In an interview conducted after the market closed on Friday, CaratLane's Managing Director Saumen Bhaumik stated that "overall growth" (in fiscal 2026)... would be no less than last year. CaratLane recorded its best-ever year in the year ending March 31. The brand's revenue jumped by 24%, to 35.83 milliards rupees (418.96 millions dollars), and earnings before interest and tax reached 2.96 billion rupees. Bhaumik stated that the profit for the new financial year will be "significantly better". Bhaumik stated that despite the fact that many Indians have been opting for lighter, lower-carat jewelry to keep within their budgets, CaratLane’s average bill has increased by a 10th thanks to new launches. CaratLane has plans to open two outlets in Dubai within eight months and a second U.S. outlet by Deepavali festival this year.
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Shein and Reliance plan to export Indian-made clothing abroad within one year, according to sources
Two people familiar with the situation said that fashion retailer Shein, along with partner Reliance Retail, plan to expand their Indian suppliers and begin overseas sales of India made Shein branded clothing within six to twelve months. The China-founded, Singapore-headquartered e-commerce firm has been discussing plans with the Indian retailer since before the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese imports that intensified the need to diversify sourcing, the people said. They said the goal is to increase Indian suppliers from 150 to 1,000 within a single year. Shein issued a statement in which it said that its trademark was licensed for use in India. Reliance didn't respond to any questions. Shein offers low-cost apparel, such as $10 jeans and $5 dresses, shipped directly from suppliers in China to around 150 countries. Shein's largest market is the U.S., where it is adapting to tariffs on low value e-commerce packages imported from China that were previously duty-free. The retailer launched its app in India in 2018, but it was banned by the government in 2020, as part of a campaign against China-linked companies amid tensions with its neighbour to the northeast. In February, it returned under a license deal with Reliance Industries' unit that launched SheinIndia.in to sell Shein-branded clothing produced in local factories. Shein's websites, on the other hand, mainly feature products from China. The two sources, who declined to be named due to concerns about confidentiality, stated that Reliance, owned by Asia's wealthiest person, Mukesh Amanani, has signed contracts with 150 garment makers and is currently in discussions with 400 others. People said that the goal was to have 1,000 Indian factories producing Shein-branded clothing within a single year, both for the Indian market as well as to service Shein's websites around the world. One person said that Shein originally wanted to list India-made clothing on its U.S. websites and British sites. The person stated that discussions have been ongoing for several months, and that the launch date of six to twelve months may change depending on the number of suppliers. This is the first time that we have reported on the scale of expansion and export timelines. Shein announced in a press release that Reliance has licensed the use of its brand in India. Reliance is "responsible for manufacturing, supply chains, sales, and operations on the Indian market." In December, Minister Piyush Goyal of Commerce and Industry told the parliament that Shein and Reliance aimed to establish a network of Indian clothing suppliers for Shein brand clothes sold "domestically and internationally". On-Demand Manufacturing Shein, a behemoth in fast fashion, generates annual revenues of more than $30 billion thanks to aggressive marketing and low prices. The majority of Shein's products come from China, with some being made in Turkey and Brazil. Walmart, as well as other companies in the fashion and retail industry around the world are interested in India due to the Sino/U.S. Trade War. Sensor Tower, a market intelligence company, reported that the Shein India App has been downloaded over 2.7 million times in Apple and Google Play Stores, with a growth of 120% per month. In its first four-month period, the company has offered 12,000 different designs. This is a small fraction of its 600,000 items on its U.S. website. The cheapest item in the women's dress category is 349 Indian Rupees ($4), compared to $3.39 at the U.S. website as of June 9, The two people stated that Shein's Indian Partner Reliance operates the app and is working with suppliers in order to determine whether they can duplicate Shein’s global bestsellers at a lower cost. Reliance wants to mimic Shein's model of on-demand manufacturing, and will ask suppliers to produce as little as 100 pieces for each design before increasing production. Manish Aziz is the assistant vice president Shein India for Reliance Retail. In a LinkedIn posting, he described Shein as having "truly incredible" scale and speed. Reliance has dozens of partnerships with fashion brands such as Brooks Brothers and Marks and Spencer. The company also operates the e-commerce website Ajio, and its retail network is in competition with Amazon's Flipkart and Walmart's Flipkart. It also competes against value retailers like Tata Zudio. Reliance will work with new suppliers and import machinery to source fabric, especially synthetic fabrics where India lacks expertise. They said that the firm would invest in suppliers to help them grow, which will in turn help Shein-Reliance go global. Reporting by Dhwani Paandya from Mumbai and Helen Reid from London; editing by Aditya K. Kalra and Christopher Cushing
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China's copper imports fell 18% from the April record in May
Customs data released on Monday showed that China imported 2.4 metric tons (mt) of copper concentrates in May. This is 18% less than the record set in April, even though smelters maintained production levels. Data from the General Administration of Customs revealed that imports increased 5.8% compared to the same period a year ago. Imports are up 7.4% for the year to date at 12,4 million tons. Analysts at a Beijing futures company said that the drop in the month-on-month was not unexpected, given the April record. However, the decline was greater than expected, as smelters did not reduce output. Four market sources said that the increased prices of sulphuric acids, a byproduct of smelting, helped to offset the negative Treatment and Refining charges (TC/RC), which is a barometer for smelter profits. The data shows that imports of copper unwrought and copper products dropped 16.9% over the year and 2.5% month-on-month to 427,000 tonnes. Imports have fallen 6.7% year-to-date to 2,17 million tons. Imports of unwrought copper products and copper products into China, which is the world's largest copper and aluminum consumer, include copper alloys, copper anodes and semi-finished goods. China exported 547,000 tonnes in May of aluminium unwrought and products including alloys, primary and semi-finished products. This is up 5.6% from the previous month, but down 3.2% from the year. Volumes for the year to date have fallen 5.1%, reaching 2.43 million tonnes. Hongmei Li, Christopher Cushing and Christopher Cushing (reporting)
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Rare-earths shortage causes panic among auto companies
Frank Eckard is the CEO of a German manufacturer of magnets. He has received a lot of calls over the past few weeks. Automakers and suppliers are desperate to find other sources of magnets due to the Chinese export restrictions. Eckard was told by some that their factories would be shut down without backup magnets as early as mid-July. Eckard, CEO at Magnosphere in Troisdorf in Germany, said that the entire car industry was in a panic. "They will pay anything." Car executives are once again crammed into war rooms because they fear that China's strict export controls on rare earth magnets, which are crucial to the production of cars, could cripple production. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to allow rare earth minerals and magnets to flow into the United States. On Monday, a U.S. team of trade representatives will meet with Chinese counterparts in London for discussions. Industry experts are concerned that the situation with rare earths could lead to a third major supply chain shock within five years. From roughly 2021-2023, a semiconductor shortage caused automakers to cancel millions of vehicles from their production plans. The coronavirus epidemic in 2020 also shut down factories for several weeks. These crises led the industry to strengthen its supply chain strategies. The industry has prioritized backups for key components, and re-examined just-in time inventories that save money, but may leave them with no stockpiles if a crisis occurs. Eckard said that judging by the inbound calls he receives, "nobody's learned anything from their past." The industry is left with few options this time as the bottleneck for rare earths tightens. This is due to the dominance of China on the market. A small team of Chinese bureaucrats is deciding the fate of automakers’ assembly lines as they review hundreds of export permit applications. CLEPA, the auto supplier association for Europe, has reported that several European auto-supplier factories have shut down and more are expected to do so. Benjamin Krieger, Secretary General of CLEPA, said: "This will be a problem for everyone sooner or later." Rare-earth-based motors are used in dozens components of cars today - including side mirrors and stereo speakers. They also power oil pumps, wipers and sensors that detect fuel leaks and brake sensors. AlixPartners, a consultancy, said that China controls 70% of the global rare-earths mines, 85% refining capacity, and 90% of rare earths magnets and metal alloys. According to the International Energy Agency, an average electric car uses.5 kg of rare earth elements. A fossil-fuel vehicle uses only half as much. China has acted in the past, such as during a dispute with Japan in 2010, when it curbed exports of rare-earths. Japan was forced to look for alternative suppliers and, by 2018, China only accounted 58% of Japan's rare earth imports. Mark Smith, CEO at mining company NioCorp which is developing an rare-earth mine in Nebraska, said that China could play the rare-earth cards whenever it wanted. Automakers across the industry have tried to reduce their reliance on China for rare earth magnets or develop magnets without these elements. Most efforts, however, are still years away from reaching the necessary scale. Joseph Palmieri said, "It is really about identifying... and finding alternatives" outside China at a Detroit conference last week. Palmieri is the head of supply-chain management at Aptiv. GM, BMW, ZF, and BorgWarner and other major automakers are developing motors that contain low to zero rare-earth metals. However few have been able to scale up production to reduce costs. The EU launched initiatives, including the Critical Raw Materials Act, to boost European sources of rare-earth metals. Noah Barkin is a senior adviser at Rhodium Group in the United States, an organization that focuses on China. He said it had not moved quickly enough. Even those who have created marketable products find it difficult to compete on price with Chinese producers. David Bender, cohead of German metal specialists Heraeus magnet recycling business, stated that it was only operating at 1% capability and would have to close if sales did not increase next year. Niron, a Minneapolis-based company that has developed rare-earth-free magnets, has raised over $250 million in funding from investors such as GM Stellantis Magna and other auto suppliers. Jonathan Rowntree, CEO of Rowntree International Ltd., said that since China's new export controls came into effect "we've seen an increase in interest" from both investors and customers. The company plans to build a $1 billion facility that will begin production in 2029. Warwick Acoustics, based in England, has developed speakers that are free of rare earths. They will be used on a luxury vehicle later this year. Mike Grant, CEO of Warwick Acoustics, said that the company is in discussions with a dozen other automakers. However the speakers will not be available on mainstream models until about five years. Auto companies are scrambling as they search for longer-term solutions to avoid imminent factory closures. Automakers need to determine which suppliers, and even smaller ones just a few links above the supply chain, require export permits. Mercedes-Benz is, for instance, talking to its suppliers about building up rare-earth stocks. Analysts say that the shortage of parts could force automakers, like GM and other manufacturers during the semiconductor crisis, to build cars without certain components and store them until the parts are available. The automakers' dependence on China is not limited to rare earth elements. In a report from the European Commission, published in 2024, China controlled more than half of the global supply of 19 raw materials including manganese graphite, and aluminum. Andy Leyland is the co-founder and supply chain expert SC Insights. He said that any of these elements could be leveraged by China. He said, "This is just a warning shot."
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China and Hong Kong stock prices rise ahead of Sino-US Trade Talks
China and Hong Kong shares edged up on Monday as rare-earths and technology sectors led gains, while investors awaited high-level U.S. China trade negotiations to be held in London. At midday, both the Shanghai Composite Index and China's blue chip CSI300 Index gained 0.2%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index advanced by more than 1%, and it reclaimed its key level of 24,000 for the first time since March 21, 2015. During the morning session of trading, the yuan was unable to find a direction and traded last at 7,1872 dollars. The mood was positive, but cautious. U.S. officials and Chinese representatives are set to resume their trade negotiations later that day. The top U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and China's Vice Premier He Lifeng are meeting in London to discuss a trade dispute. The meeting comes after a rare call between Chinese President Xi Jinping, and U.S. president Donald Trump. Both sides accused each other of violating Geneva's consensus. Analysts at China Securities wrote in a report that they believe there could be positive outcomes as Trump has shown some positive signs. They added that any progress would offer some relief to the markets. The strategically-important rare earth sector, which is expected to be a key focus of the talks, led onshore gains on Monday, up 1.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Tech Index rose 2.3%, reaching a new high of about three weeks. Since the "Liberation Day" of April 2, when Trump announced massive reciprocal tariffs, which threatened to upset the global trading order, Chinese stocks have struggled for direction. The blue-chip CSI300 Index has barely moved from its April 2 level. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, the benchmark index, gained about 3% in the same period. Both markets are lagging behind the global recovery. China's consumer price fell for the fourth consecutive month in May, while deflation among producers grew, as trade tensions and an extended housing slump weighed on the economy. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich in Hong Kong)
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China's rare Earth exports rose 23% in May, despite export restrictions
China's rare earths exports to the world in May rose 23% over the previous month, reaching their highest level in a full year. However, Beijing's export restrictions on certain critical minerals have halted sales overseas, causing shortages that are affecting global manufacturing. China's April restrictions on exports of several types of rare Earths and rare-earth magnets closed parts of the auto industry worldwide. The issue was also a major topic in the rare phone call between leaders of China and the United States last week. Exports of rare earths, all types, from the largest producer in the world were up by 23% compared to April. They now stand at 5,864.60 tonnes. This is the highest monthly number in the past year. The restrictions do not apply to all types of rare earths that China exports. The data released on Monday does not differentiate between them. A full picture of their impact will be revealed in a more comprehensive data release scheduled for June 20. Last month, data showed that magnet exports had fallen by half between April and May. Last week, several European auto part plants had to cease production. Semiconductor firms in the continent also warned that they would be forced to do so within weeks. Customs data revealed that in the first five month of 2025 the exports of the 17-mineral group rose slightly to 24,827 tonnes from 24,266.5 tons one year earlier. (Reporting and editing by Beijing Newsroom)
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China's coal imports in May fell 18% due to cheap domestic coal and renewable energy
China, the largest coal importer in the world, reduced its imports by 18% on an annual basis, according to customs data released Friday. Low-cost domestic coal eroded overseas purchases, while renewables slowed down coal-fired electricity generation. According to the General Administration of Customs, imports were 36.04 millions metric tons for the month, down from 43.82million tons in May 2024. This was the third consecutive month that China's imports of coal fell year-over-year. They had increased previously every month from November 2022. January and February were excluded because they are affected by Lunar New Year holidays. The data shows that coal imports for the first five month of this year were 188.7 metric tons. This is down from 204.9 metric tons a year ago. The domestic coal price has remained flat for the past four years, reducing profits. According to the Bohai-Rim Bay Thermal Coal Price Index, the average price of medium-grade coal in May was 632 dollars. The domestic coal production is also on the increase, with a 7% rise to 1,58 billion tons in the first four month of the year. China's thermal energy generation, which is mainly coal and a little natural gas, dropped 4% between January and April, while the generation of renewables captured the increase of 3% in demand for power during those four months. (Reporting and editing by Himani Sarkar; Colleen howe)
Oil prices drop but are supported by US-China trade talks
Oil prices fell a few pennies on Monday, but they held most of the gains made last week as investors waited for the U.S.-China talks to take place in London in the afternoon. Some investors were hoping that a deal would boost global economic growth and fuel demand.
Brent crude futures fell 6 cents, to $66.41 per barrel at 0450 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude fell 4 cents, to $64.54.
Three of Donald Trump's most senior aides are set to meet their counterparts at the first U.S. China economic and trade consultation mechanisms meeting.
The announcement of the Saturday meeting followed a rare phone call between President Xi Jinping and Trump on Thursday. Both were under pressure to calm tensions, as China's export restrictions on rare earths are disrupting global supply chains.
Last week, Brent gained 4% and WTI gained 6,2%. This was their first weekly increase in three weeks, following the news that both countries had been discussing their trade differences.
Tim Evans, of Evans Energy, said that Brent crude oil has gained ground in the last week to the top of its trading range. This was due to increased buying in the equity markets and a reduced fear of tariffs.
The fact that the unemployment rate in May was unchanged by the U.S. Jobs Report increased the chances of a Federal Reserve rate cut. This helped to support gains made last week.
Data showed that export growth in China slowed in May to a three month low as U.S. Tariffs hit shipments. Factory-gate deflation also reached its lowest level in the past two years.
Data also revealed that China's crude imports in May fell to their lowest daily rate for four months as both state-owned refineries and independent refineries underwent extensive planned maintenance.
After OPEC+ announced another large output increase for July on May 31, the prospect of a China/U.S. Trade Deal that could boost economic growth and increase oil demand outweighed concerns about an increased OPEC+ Supply.
HSBC said that it expects OPEC+ will accelerate its supply increases in August and Septembre, which is likely to increase downside risks for the bank's forecast of $65 per barrel Brent from the fourth quarter 2025.
Capital Economics' researchers believe that this "new, faster pace (OPEC+), production rise is here to remain".
WTI's Discount to Brent
The U.S. benchmark rose on concerns about supply after wildfires disrupted Canadian production and on strong U.S. demand for fuel during the summer driving period.
Baker Hughes, a provider of energy services, said that the number of U.S. operating oil rigs fell nine to 442 in the past week. Reporting by Florence Tan from Singapore and Colleen Waye from Beijing; editing by Himani Sarkar, Neil Fullick
(source: Reuters)