Ahead of the Labour Day holiday, SMM surveyed galvanising enterprises on their holiday arrangements. This survey covered 27 galvanising enterprises with a total capacity of 20.10 million mt. According to SMM, some enterprises will take 1-13 days off during the Labour Day holiday, while others will maintain normal production without any break, with an estimated total impact on zinc consumption of approximately 5,785 mt.

As the Labour Day holiday approaches, SMM communicated with galvanized sheet enterprises regarding their holiday arrangements. The survey covered 20 galvanized sheet enterprises with a combined capacity of 17.06 million mt/year, affecting zinc consumption of 243 mt

Premiums in the Tianjin region have consistently remained at a discount. How will premiums trend going forward?

[China's Mediocre Performance in Consumption, SHFE Zinc Maintained Fluctuating Trend]: The most-traded SHFE zinc 2605 contract opened at 23,670 yuan/mt. SHFE zinc edged up at the beginning of the session, touching a high of 23,810 yuan/mt before pulling back to near the daily average line. During the session, SHFE zinc dipped to a low of 23,665 yuan/mt, then moved sideways around the daily average line, ultimately closing higher at 23,715 yuan/mt, up 55 yuan/mt.

[US Dollar Index Pulled Back, SHFE Zinc Rose Intraday]: The most-traded SHFE zinc 2605 contract opened at 23,720 yuan/mt. After the opening, SHFE zinc fluctuated higher, hitting an intraday low of 23,645 yuan/mt and touching a high of 23,800 yuan/mt near the close. It finally settled up at 23,790 yuan/mt, gaining 80 yuan/mt or 0.34%.

[How Should Zinc Consumption Be Viewed Against the Backdrop of Geopolitical Conflicts?] Q1 2026 had passed, and the overall recovery in post-holiday consumption was somewhat delayed. How would consumption perform going forward?

According to an announcement issued by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration, starting from April 1, 2026, the VAT export tax rebates for products such as ceramics and PV will be fully abolished (the original rebate rates were mostly 9%–13%).

SMM, February 5: Approaching the 2026 Chinese New Year break, SMM conducted a series of surveys on the pre-holiday shutdowns among domestic zinc oxide enterprises, covering 20 companies with a combined annual capacity of 479,600 mt. The holiday period is expected to impact zinc consumption by approximately 4,968 mt. Results indicate an average holiday duration of 21.35 days for the industry, an increase of 1.25 days compared to the same period last year. From the perspective of enterprise holiday arrangements, the industry shows significant divergence: major leading factories largely maintained holiday plans consistent with the previous year, while some enterprises continued normal production during the Chinese New Year period due to favorable order demand and the continuous process requirements of zinc oxide production. Meanwhile, some companies adjusted from non-stop production during last year’s holiday to extended shutdowns this year due to technological transformation and equipment maintenance plans, becoming a key factor driving up the industry's average holiday duration. Order demand also displayed structural differences, with varying market conditions across different grades of zinc oxide: chemical-grade zinc oxide orders recently showed improvement, and demand from large tyre factories remained stable. However, after entering February, the peak season for feed-grade zinc oxide has passed, and demand gradually pulled back, while ceramic-grade zinc oxide faced weak market demand due to production cuts and shutdowns among end-user ceramic plants. Additionally, overall profitability in the zinc oxide industry remains low, and under cost pressure, some small enterprises opted for early holidays, while others slowed down their production pace before the holiday. SMM will continue to track and report on the operational dynamics of the zinc oxide industry around the Chinese New Year period.

Approaching the 2026 Chinese New Year, SMM conducted communication and research on the pre-holiday break arrangements of domestic die-casting zinc alloy enterprises. This survey covered 20 enterprises, with a total annual capacity of 829,000 mt, involving a zinc consumption scale during the holiday period of approximately 45,548 mt.

Against the backdrop of the in-depth advancement of the "dual carbon" strategic goals, the zinc industry, as a vital pillar in the basic materials sector, is undergoing a profound transformation from traditional manufacturing to green recycling. The global trade landscape is undergoing rapid reconfiguration, and the zinc industry chain is facing multiple challenges: the low-carbon entry thresholds in the international market continue to rise, regional supply chain barriers are becoming increasingly prominent, and technical trade measures are forming differentiated encirclements on niche sectors such as galvanizing, zinc oxide, and zinc salts. Meanwhile, breakthroughs in the recycling technology of secondary zinc resources and the construction of a circular economy system are becoming strategic pivots for reshaping the global zinc industry's competitive landscape. Currently, China's zinc industry urgently needs to drive the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry chain through technological innovation. With the joint support of upstream and downstream enterprises, industry associations, and relevant parties in the zinc industry, the 2025 SMM Zinc Industry Conference & the 7th Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Development and Technological Innovation Forum, and the 13th Zinc Salt, Zinc Oxide, and Secondary Zinc Resources Development Forum are set to be held from August 14-16. The conference will closely revolve around the high-quality development needs of the zinc industry, with the theme of "Zinc Momentum, Intelligent Recycling, New Development". It will focus on hot topics such as industrial market development, policy planning, technological innovation, equipment upgrades, new materials and applications, and supply and demand transactions. We sincerely invite global zinc smelting, processing, application, and recycling enterprises to jointly discuss collaborative development mechanisms, address trade changes through technological breakthroughs, and work together to draw up a blueprint for the high-quality and sustainable development of the zinc industry! Jurong Ruixin Environmental Protection Materials Co., Ltd. hereby extends a warm invitation to gather at this industry summit event. Let us join hands, draw up a development blueprint together, and jointly propel the zinc industry towards a more prosperous, green, and sustainable future. Click on the registration form now to easily complete your conference registration and jointly witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, creating a brilliant new chapter together! Jurong Ruixin • Pioneer of New Hot-Dip Galvanizing Processes Jurong Ruixin Environmental Protection Materials Co., Ltd. was established in September 2015. The company is located at the foot of Maoshan Mountain, a Taoist holy site, adjacent to Nanjing in the west and Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou in the east, at the core of the Yangtze River Delta economic circle. Our products are widely applied in surface treatment technology services for industrial cleaning and coating, electrophoresis, and hot-dip galvanizing processes. Since 2018, our technical personnel have developed a series of new processes for the hot-dip galvanizing industry, targeting the current status of hot-dip galvanizing processes, to reduce production costs for hot-dip galvanizing enterprises, make hot-dip galvanizing processing more environmentally friendly, and have gained widespread application and market recognition. The following products are launched to meet the diverse process needs of customers: Ammonium-free flux aid, Zinc fume inhibitor, Zinc ash reduction and leakage prevention agent, High-aluminum leakage-proof plating agent, Flux-aiding ammonium agent, Zinc ash reduction and explosion-proof agent, Mist suppression and degreasing agent, Pickling inhibitor Dedicated to solving issues of plating leakage, zinc consumption reduction, and zinc ash reduction in hot-dip galvanizing Our company adheres to the principles of customer first, environmental protection first, quality first, and service first!We look forward to collaborating with you to create a brilliant future together! I. Product Introduction 1. This product is a composite of polymer nano-modified materials and proprietary solvents, an environmentally friendly material that contains no cadmium, lead, mercury, fluorine, bismuth, or hexavalent chromium. After using this product, hot-dip galvanizing can achieve "0" ammonium chloride operation for the fluxing agent and "0" ammonia water for iron removal, truly realizing an ammonium-free fluxing process. On this basis, it will significantly reduce zinc fumes generated during the galvanizing process, improve zinc utilization, reduce the environmental protection pressure on galvanizing enterprises, and lower galvanizing costs. 2. This product also possesses excellent anti-explosion properties. After using this product, there is no need to add anti-explosion agents or other similar products to the fluxing agent, thereby reducing usage costs. II. Usage Instructions 1. When using this product, add the smokeless fluxing agent to the fluxing tank at a 2% dosing ratio. The ammonium chloride content in the fluxing agent should be reduced to 0 g/l, with zinc chloride at 120-150 g/l, and the pH should not exceed 3.5. After adding and thoroughly mixing, it can be used. The temperature of the fluxing agent should generally not be lower than 55°C. 2. After using this product, the original ammonia water/hydrogen peroxide iron removal process in the fluxing tank will no longer be used. Instead, a special iron removal agent (compatible with our company's smokeless fluxing agent) should be added during the iron removal process (online iron removal equipment already installed in galvanizing plants can still be used) to ensure "0" ammonium introduction during the iron removal process and "0" ammonium operation of the smokeless fluxing process. 3. This product is a consumable, and its consumption rate is directly related to production. Generally, for every 200-250 mt of galvanized parts produced, 25-30 kg of this product needs to be replenished. 4. During the production process, when water needs to be replenished to the process tank due to water level drop, this product should be added to the process tank at a 1% ratio of the replenished water volume to ensure concentration balance. 5. Comparison of fluxing process parameters before and after using this product Item Conventional Fluxing Agent Smokeless Fluxing Agent Ammonium Chloride ≥150 g/l 0 g/l Zinc Chloride ≥100 g/l 120-150 g/l pH Value/Temperature 4-5/55-70°C 2-3.5/55-70°C Fume Production - Reduced by 70-80% Zinc Ash Production - Reduced by 15-20% Anti-Explosion Performance Anti-explosion agent required No anti-explosion agent required Iron Removal Process Ammonia water/hydrogen peroxide Special iron removal agent, "0" ammonium introduction 6. For the use of the accompanying special iron removal agent, production lines with online iron removal equipment already installed can be configured with liquid packaging (1 mt drums) to perfectly adapt to the existing online iron removal equipment. Production lines without online iron removal equipment can be configured with solid packaging (25 kg/bag), and centralized tank dumping for iron removal can be carried out based on the actual iron content of the fluxing agent to achieve fluxing agent cleaning, reduce zinc slag production, and thus lower production costs. III. Packaging and Storage 1. This product is packaged in 25L plastic drums or mt drums and stored in a dry and cool place. ◆ Contact Information ◆ Mr. Ding 13218815922 Long press to scan the QR code and register immediately 2025 SMM Zinc Industry Conference