2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Against the backdrop of intensifying global macro fluctuations and the deepening of domestic high-quality development, the zinc industry is undergoing profound changes: tightness on the ore side and the release of smelting capacity create structural tensions; divergent domestic and overseas inventories mirror the complex supply-demand rebalancing; and technological innovation is becoming a key driving force for resolving conflicts and reshaping the landscape. New energy, new-type infrastructure and other key areas of the 15th Five-Year Plan are injecting new momentum into traditional zinc consumption, while green, low-carbon and circular economy paradigms are also accelerating the restructuring of industrial logic, driven by technological innovation. With the joint support of upstream and downstream zinc enterprises, industry associations and all relevant parties, SMM 2026 SMM Zinc Industry Conference concurrently held with the 8th Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Development and Technology Innovation Forum, the 14th Zinc Salt, Zinc Oxide and Secondary Zinc Resources Development Forum, and the Zinc-Based Materials Development Forum will be held in Qingdao, Shandong from August 6 to 8. Under the theme “Gathering Zinc Momentum, Building the Zinc Industry, Embarking on a New Journey,” the conference will be driven by macro perspectives and fundamental analysis as its dual engines, closely adhere to the main line of high-quality development of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and focus on four dimensions: macro policies, supply-demand patterns, global trade, and technological innovation. It aims to drive cost reduction and efficiency improvement through technological breakthroughs, respond to market fluctuations with collaborative innovation, and jointly draw a new blueprint for the high-quality and sustainable development of the zinc industry. Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metal Materials Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will grandly attend this event, discussing industry development trends with industry peers and jointly pushing the zinc industry to new heights. Click the to register for the conference immediately, witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, and create a brilliant new chapter together! Founded in 2012 with a registered capital of 39.8 million yuan, Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metal Materials Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is located in Baoding, Hebei, a historic city in China. Situated in the heart of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei triangle, the company is rooted in the galvanizing sector of North China and serves the national galvanizing market. The company has a comprehensive management system and a quality and technical service system with full employee participation, and has obtained the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification, and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification. Its “Baoding” and “Aoqisheng” trademarks have been registered with the National Trademark Office. The company holds 7 invention patents and 37 utility model patents. Through deep cultivation of industrial development, it has won multiple heavyweight provincial qualifications and honors, being successively recognized as a Hebei Province Technology-based SME, Hebei Province Innovative SME, Hebei Province Specialized, Distinctive and Novel SME, Hebei Province Specialized, Refined, Distinctive and Novel Demonstration Enterprise, and Provincial Manufacturing Single Champion Enterprise. It has established the Hebei Provincial Enterprise Technology Center and Hebei Provincial Zinc-based Alloy Innovation Center, and has been rated as a Hebei Provincial Green Factory. In 2021, Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metal Material Manufacturing Co., Ltd. cooperated with the National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Metal Material Coating of China Iron & Steel Research Institute to build the Baoding Alloy New Material Production and Research Base Project. The company enjoys a high reputation in China's hot-dip galvanizing alloy manufacturing industry. Its main products include: zinc-aluminum alloy, zinc-nickel alloy, multi-element rare earth alloy, zinc-bismuth alloy, zinc-antimony alloy, zinc-aluminum-magnesium alloy, and other zinc-based new-type functional alloys. ◆ Contact ◆ Tel: 0312-8063789 QQ: 767 496 767 Website: www.bdags.com Address: No. 1699 Zhongxin West Road, Qingyuan District, Baoding City Long press to scan and register now 2026 SMM Zinc Conference

This week, the rare earth market showed a clear divergence, with light and heavy rare earths moving in opposite directions. On the light rare earth side, trading sentiment for praseodymium-neodymium oxide turned subdued again, and metal plants remained reluctant to purchase. As a result, prices fluctuated within a narrow range. Although upstream separation plants still showed some willingness to support prices, downstream magnetic material companies and metal plants had low acceptance of current price levels, and new orders were limited, leading to a stalemate between buyers and sellers. Feedback from across the supply chain indicates that downstream users still lack the capacity to absorb high-priced oxides, and actual transactions were mostly small, just-in-time purchases with few bulk restocking activities. Consequently, neodymium-praseodymium prices are expected to continue their weak and volatile trend in the near term. On the heavy rare earth side, the market for dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide was relatively more active, supported by market rumors and purchasing activity from some large smelters, prompting prices to gradually move higher. However, feedback from metal plants suggests that downstream order books for magnetic material companies have not materially improved, and overall demand remains weak. Although upstream suppliers are clearly trying to push prices higher, the lack of strong support from end-user orders means that actual transaction volumes are low, and high-priced deals remain sporadic. Overall, the rare earth market remains largely in a wait-and-see mode. Both the downward pressure on light rare earths and the passive uptick in heavy rare earths reflect the sluggish recovery in demand. In the short term, the market is likely to continue its subdued trajectory.

[SMM Analysis]Supply Tightening Offsets Off-season Pressure, June ADC12 Price Center Expected to Rise

Driven by wild swings in copper prices, the copper scrap market this week operated under their dominance; the sharp fluctuations in futures and spot prices profoundly affected the mentality and behavior of all links in the industry chain, and the market exhibited typical “price-driven, tug-of-war between sellers and buyers, and pulse-like transactions” characteristics.

SMM Report, June 5: Benchmark monthly long-term contract prices for China’s tungsten sector were officially released recently. The Ganzhou Tungsten Association unveiled its June 2026 domestic tungsten forecast prices: 55% WO₃ black tungsten concentrate at RMB 505,000 per metric ton, down RMB 195,000/MT month-on-month; ammonium paratungstate (APT) priced at RMB 760,000 per metric ton, a MoM drop of RMB 260,000/MT;

This week, ferrous metals diverged, with coking coal and coke extending their strength, iron ore making some concessions, and finished steel moving sideways. Early in the week, rumors about coal mine safety inspections continued to swirl, and expectations of supply tightness intensified, driving coking coal to its daily limit up. Against weak supply-demand fundamentals, iron ore took a path of conceding to coking coal and coke, while finished steel edged higher in a narrow range; later in the week, data on the five major steel products were released, with HRC inventory destocking continuing, the off-season effect on construction steel demand emerging, inventory destocking narrowing, and overall inventory pressure for finished steel also beginning to slowly accumulate......

June 5 News: North China ports: South African high-iron ore at yuan/mtu 32-32.5, down WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate ore at yuan/mtu 37.8-38.3, down WoW from last Friday; Gabonese ore at yuan/mtu 41.2-41.8, flat WoW from last Friday; 46% grade Australian lumps at yuan/mtu 43.5-44, down WoW from last Friday; South African medium-iron ore at yuan/mtu 38.5-39, down WoW from last Friday. South China ports: South African high-iron ore at yuan/mtu 34.9-35.4, down WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate ore at yuan/mtu 36.5-37, flat WoW from last Friday; Gabonese ore at yuan/mtu 41.7-42.2, flat WoW from last Friday; 46% grade Australian lumps at yuan/mtu 43.5-44, down WoW from last Friday; South African medium-iron ore at yuan/mtu 38-38.5, down WoW from last Friday. With weakening cost support outside China and sluggish end-use demand, spot manganese ore in China fluctuates downward overall, though the short-term decline has moderated somewhat.

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Ferrochrome Market Stays Stable for Now, Chrome Ore Transactions Sluggish with Stealthy Declines] June 5, 2026 report: Ferrochrome and chrome ore markets fluctuate slightly......

This week, cold-rolled and hot-rolled prices weakened, with overall transactions turning weaker WoW. Supply side, rolling line maintenance decreased WoW this week, reducing the impact on output, and HRC production showed an increase overall. Demand side, apparent demand edged up slightly WoW this week. Inventory side, this week, SMM’s tally of HRC social inventory across 86 warehouses nationwide stood at 4.3519 million mt, down 114,500 mt WoW, or a decline of 2.56%. By region, inventory in South China and Northeast China saw slight accumulation, while North China, East China, and Central and West China continued destocking. Cost side, coking coal and coke futures trended strongly this week. The fifth round of coke price increases was implemented, and hot metal output rebounded, supporting iron ore prices. HRC cost support was strong. Looking ahead, expectations for a sixth round of coke price increases remain, and according to SMM, hot metal output is still expected to rise further, providing demand support for iron ore. Overall, the cost side still offers support. From the perspective of HRC fundamentals, the current supply-demand imbalance has not yet accumulated to drag on prices. However, considering that downstream buyers mainly purchase as needed during the off-season, demand is unlikely to see a significant surge, capping price increases. Next week, HRC prices are expected to remain range-bound, with the most-traded HRC contract trading in the 3,340-3,420 range.

After both sodium-ion battery cathodes and hard carbon anodes recorded significant increases YoY and MoM in May, the midstream and downstream segments of the industry chain—electrolytes and battery cells—also delivered impressive results, yet structural issues lurk beneath the growth.