2026 is the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Against a backdrop of intensifying global macro volatility and the in-depth advancement of high-quality development in China, the zinc industry is undergoing profound transformation: tightness on the ore side and the release of smelting capacity are creating structural tension, divergence between domestic and overseas inventories reflects the complex dynamics of supply-demand rebalancing, and technological innovation is becoming a key driving force for resolving conflicts and reshaping the industry pattern. New energy, new-type infrastructure, and other key areas under the 15th Five-Year Plan are injecting new momentum into traditional zinc consumption, while green, low-carbon, and circular economy principles are also accelerating the restructuring of industrial logic, driven by technological innovation. With the support of upstream and downstream enterprises in the zinc industry, industry associations, and all relevant parties, the 2026 SMM Zinc Industry Conference along with the 8th Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Development & Technology Innovation Forum, the 14th Zinc Salt, Zinc Oxide & Zinc Secondary Resources Development Forum, and the Cast Zinc Alloy Development Forum will be held on August 6–8 in Qingdao, Shandong Province. 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 dual engines, closely follow the high-quality development path defined in the 15th Five-Year Plan, and focus on four dimensions: macro policies, supply-demand pattern, global trade, and technological innovation. It aims to drive cost reduction and efficiency gains through technological breakthroughs, address market volatility through collaborative innovation, and jointly chart a new blueprint for the high-quality and sustainable development of the zinc industry. Xuzhou RITMAN Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. will attend this grand event, discuss industry development trends with industry peers, and jointly advance the zinc industry to new heights. Click to register now and join us in witnessing and participating in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event to create a brilliant new chapter together! RITMAN is a service-oriented industrial enterprise with over 40 years of deep expertise in coating technology. Guided by the mission of "continuously creating value for clients," it focuses on two core directions—intelligent manufacturing and green low-carbon—and provides global users with integrated one-stop solutions covering process planning, equipment customization, chemical matching, and full lifecycle operation and maintenance. The company’s core business matrix encompasses batch coating equipment, continuous coating equipment, pickling and conversion film equipment, electrophoretic coating equipment, metal surface treatment chemicals, laser processing equipment, and more. To date, RITMAN has delivered over 500 production lines globally, with business covering multiple countries and regions across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, accumulating proven delivery experience across various industries and operating conditions. Leveraging a nationwide service network and overseas operation centers, it can quickly respond to clients’ localized service needs, ensuring stable line operation and long-term value generation. ◆ Contact Us ◆ Tel: 0516-83152272 Website: www.rmznjs.com Email: info@sinoritman.com Address: No. 35 Chuangye Road, Xuzhou Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Long press the QR code to register now 2026 SMM Zinc Conference

[Enterprises Gradually Resume Normal Production, Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Operating Rate Rises] The operating rate rise this week was mainly because enterprises that had suspended production due to the Dragon Boat Festival holiday last week gradually resumed normal production this week, thus driving the operating rate higher. However, end-user orders were fundamentally weak. ......

[Traders Nonchalantly Quote Shipment Prices, Spot Premiums Struggle to Rise This Week]: This week, spot premiums in Ningbo were basically stable, with the average price up 30 yuan/mt WoW. As of Friday, spot prices in Ningbo against the 2608 contract were quoted at a discount of 30 yuan/mt, with a premium of 35 yuan/mt against the Shanghai premium. Throughout the week, the price against the Shanghai premium maintained a fluctuating trend.

2026 is the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Against a backdrop of intensifying global macro volatility and the deepening push for high-quality development in China, the zinc industry is undergoing profound changes: structural tensions arise from ore supply tightness alongside the release of smelting capacity, diverging domestic and overseas inventories reflect the complex supply-demand rebalancing, and technological innovation is becoming the key driver for resolving contradictions and reshaping the landscape. Key areas of the 15th Five-Year Plan, such as new energy and new-type infrastructure, are injecting fresh momentum into traditional zinc consumption, while green, low-carbon, and circular economy models are rapidly reshaping industry logic driven by technological innovation. With the joint support of upstream and downstream enterprises, industry associations, and relevant parties in the zinc industry, SMM's 2026 SMM Zinc Conference and the 8th Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Development and Technological Innovation Forum, the 14th Zinc Salt, Zinc Oxide, and Secondary Zinc Resources Development Forum, and the Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Development Forum are about to be held on August 6–8 in Qingdao, Shandong. Under the theme "Gathering Zinc Momentum · Building the Zinc Industry · Embarking on a New Journey," the conference is driven by the dual wheels of macro perspective and fundamental analysis, closely following the high-quality development mainline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and focusing on four dimensions: macro policies, supply-demand patterns, global trade, and technological innovation. By breaking through with technology to drive cost reduction and efficiency gains, and by addressing market fluctuations through collaborative innovation, we will jointly chart a brand-new blueprint for the high-quality and sustainable development of the zinc industry. Jurong Ruixin Environmental Protection Materials Co., Ltd. will make a grand appearance at this grand event, discussing industry development trends with industry peers and jointly propelling the zinc industry to new heights. Click the to register immediately for the conference, and join us to witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, creating a brilliant new chapter together! Jurong Ruixin – The Pioneer of New Hot-Dip Galvanizing Processes Established in 2015, Jurong Ruixin Environmental Protection Materials Co., Ltd. has been deeply cultivating the industry for a decade. Empowering the industry with technology and fulfilling its responsibilities through environmental protection, it is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, sales, and service. Located adjacent to Nanjing and covering the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou area, the company, with its strong technological R&D capabilities, has become a pioneer of new hot-dip galvanizing processes and a leader in new technologies, writing a new chapter of green development in the industry with craftsmanship and innovation. Its products are widely used in multiple core fields and have garnered broad market recognition. In product R&D, Ruixin Environmental Protection always takes environmental protection as the core, avoiding the use of high-risk chemicals and optimizing formulation processes to solve industry challenges such as high zinc consumption, zinc fume emissions, zinc ash residue, and coating skips. This not only aligns with the requirements of the "dual carbon" strategy but also effectively controls costs for enterprises. In response to the process differences of different clients, the company provides customized products and full-cycle services, from raw material selection to on-site guidance, comprehensively helping clients improve production efficiency and product quality. Willing to join hands with colleagues from all directions, empowering the industry with technology, practicing responsibility with environmental protection, jointly promoting the high-quality development of the hot-dip galvanizing industry, and creating new brilliance in green manufacturing! For different client process requirements, we launch the following products: Ammonium-free plating aid, zinc smoke inhibitor, high-aluminum anti-leakage plating agent, zinc ash reduction and anti-explosion agent, pickling accelerator, pickling inhibitor Focused on solving hot-dip galvanizing leakage plating, reducing zinc consumption, and lowering zinc ash Our company adheres to the principles of customer first, environmental protection first, quality first, and service first! We are willing to join hands with you to create brilliance together! ◆ Contact Information ◆ 24H Service Hotline: Mr. Ding 17368753678 Company Address: Unit 1, Shimao Huijin Building, No. 818 Chongming West Road, Jurong City Long press to scan the code and register now! 2026 SMM Zinc Industry Conference

[Dragon Boat Festival Holiday Enterprise Shutdowns Lower Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Operating Rates] The decline in operating rates this week was mainly due to some enterprises having a holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival, which caused a significant drop in operations. ......

[China begins negotiations on July zinc concentrate TCs, awaiting results next week]: On a weekly basis, the SMM Zn50 domestic weekly TC averaged price remained flat WoW at -200 yuan/mt Zn, while the SMM imported zinc concentrate index fell $5.74/dmt WoW to -$77.5/dmt..

According to SMM understanding, on June 23, 2026, the Hezhang County People's Government and Guizhou Dingshengxin Zinc & Germanium New Materials Co., Ltd. officially signed the "Investment Contract for the Green Manufacturing Project of Guizhou Dingshengxin Zinc & Germanium New Materials." The project has a total approved investment of 5.5 billion yuan and is designed to produce 220,000 mt of zinc ingots per year (including 100,000 mt of high-end zinc alloy new materials for die casting and galvanizing), 80,000 mt of lead ingots, along with the recovery of rare and precious metals such as germanium ingots, silver ingots, and refined cadmium, as well as a supporting sulfuric acid production system with an annual output of approximately 580,000 mt of sulfuric acid.

[Latest Customs Data] In May, China's imports of copper-zinc alloy (brass) bars and rods were 2,766.41 mt in physical content, up 8.19% YoY and up sharply by 13.02% MoM. Cumulative imports from January to May 2026 totaled 11,400 mt in physical content, cumulatively down 1.23% YoY (HS codes: 74072111, 74072119, 74072190).

According to the latest customs data, China's imports of copper-zinc alloy (brass) bars and rods in May 2026 reached 2,766.41 mt in physical content, up 8.19% YoY and surging 13.02% MoM. In January-May 2026, cumulative imports were 11,400 mt in physical content, a cumulative decline of 1.23% YoY (HS codes 74072111, 74072119, 74072190). From April to May, downstream users in China maintained a normal restocking pace, and with steady export order deliveries, monthly imports recovered on a MoM basis for consecutive months. However, overall end-use consumption showed no significant pickup, leaving cumulative imports still weak YoY. By source, South Korea remained China's largest supplier of brass billet, with imports from South Korea reaching 1,117.9 mt in May, up 13.85% MoM and 16.79% YoY, accounting for 40.41% of the total. Japan ranked second, with May imports at 439.88 mt, up 19.05% MoM but down 0.82% YoY, representing a 15.9% share. In May, imports from these two key source countries both rose MoM, as overseas producers' shipments and the domestic procurement pace picked up simultaneously. Japan and South Korea together supplied over 50% of the total, and the import source structure remained stable. On the import value side, growth remained divergent, and cost pressures continued to stand out. Import value in May was $26.7529 million, up 18.33% MoM and 38.04% YoY. In January-May 2026, cumulative import value reached $105.7079 million, a 23.42% YoY increase. A comparison shows that while imports in January-May fell 1.23% YoY in volume, import value surged 23.42% YoY, a sharp divergence. The key reason is that international copper raw material prices have been fluctuating at highs, pushing up the ex-factory cost of overseas brass billet, which then passed through to import prices and drove up unit transaction prices. Even though total import volumes were weak, overall import value maintained high growth. The core contradiction of "high costs, weak demand, and pessimistic expectations" in the brass billet market has not fundamentally reversed. On one hand, international copper prices have been fluctuating at highs, continuously raising production and import costs for brass billet, squeezing profits at domestic processing enterprises, and making import purchase willingness more cautious. On the other hand, end-use consumption in traditional sectors such as real estate, home appliances, and hardware has recovered slowly, downstream finished product orders have been mediocre, spot trades in the market have remained sluggish overall, and there has been insufficient drive for large-scale restocking. Based on import performance in May and downstream fundamentals, SMM expects that the brass billet import market will continue to operate at low levels for the rest of Q2 this year. Without a concentrated recovery in end-use demand, imports are unlikely to see a sustained significant rebound, and the game between high import prices and weak end-use demand will persist.

According to the latest customs data, China imported 2,622.81 tonnes of die-casting zinc alloy in May 2026, up 1.88 percentage points month-on-month. From January to May, China's cumulative imports of die-casting zinc alloy reached 13,258.95 tonnes, down 30.39 percentage points year-on-year.