The nickel ore market was dominated by a wait-and-see stance, with prices operating steadily. Downstream, mainstream steel mills procured NPI at a new low of 880 yuan/mtu (including delivery and VAT), dampening production enthusiasm among NPI plants and leading them to largely adopt await-and-see posture towards raw material ore purchases.SHFE nickel prices trended weaker with volatility yesterday. Downstream enterprises primarily made purchases based on immediate needs, resulting in relatively active spot trading for refined nickel overall. Premiums/discounts for most refined nickel brands remained generally stable. Due to production cuts by manufacturers and the decline in nickel prices, spot resources trading at a discount were scarce in the market. Producers demonstrated price-supporting sentiment, maintaining high premiums over SHFE nickel prices in their ex-works offers.