[Safety inspections in some regions weighed on zinc oxide operating rates this week] The decline in zinc oxide operating rates this week was mainly due to recent safety inspections at some enterprises during the week, which dragged down operations......

According to the latest customs data, China’s zinc oxide imports reached 342.78 tonnes in May, rising 53.16% month-on-month. Cumulative imports from January to May stood at 2,592.66 tonnes, up 1.7% year-on-year.China exported 1,693.81 tonnes of zinc oxide in May, a month-on-month drop of 18.71%. Total exports for the first five months hit 8,831.86 tonnes, surging 51.82% year-on-year. Breakdown of May import and export volumes is as follows:

[SMM Flash News] Per latest customs data, China’s May 2026 zinc oxide imports were 342.78 tons, down 53.16% MoM. Jan-May total imports stood at 2,592.66 tons, up 1.70% YoY cumulatively.

[SMM Flash News] According to the latest customs data, China's exports of zinc oxide stood at 1,693.81 tons in May 2026, falling 18.71% month-on-month. The cumulative export volume of zinc oxide from January to May 2026 reached 8,831.86 tons, representing a year-on-year cumulative increase of 51.82%.

[End-Use Demand Performance Weak, Zinc Oxide Demand Mediocre] Currently, it is in the traditional consumption off-season. Demand in downstream sectors such as rubber, feed, and chemicals shows no noticeable improvement, with limited incremental volume of end-user orders. This is dragging down the production willingness of zinc oxide enterprises, and operating rates continue to weaken...

2026 marks the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." Against the backdrop of intensifying global macro fluctuations and China's deepening push for high-quality development, the zinc industry is undergoing profound transformation: structural tensions emerge from ore supply tightness and the release of smelting capacity, differentiated domestic and overseas inventories reflect the complex supply-demand rebalancing, and technological innovation is becoming the key momentum to resolve contradictions and reshape the pattern. 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 principles are accelerating industrial logic reconstruction driven by technological innovation. With the support of upstream and downstream zinc enterprises, industry associations, and related parties, SMM is organizing the 2026 SMM Zinc 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 Foundry Zinc Alloy Development Forum, which will be held from August 6 to 8 in Qingdao, Shandong. Under the theme of "Gathering Zinc Momentum · Building the Zinc Industry · Embarking on a New Journey," the conference is driven by both macro perspectives and fundamental analysis. Adhering closely to the main theme of "15th Five-Year Plan" high-quality development, it will focus on four dimensions—macro policies, supply-demand pattern, global trade, and technological innovation. Through technological breakthroughs to drive cost reduction and efficiency improvement, and collaborative innovation to address market fluctuations, it aims to jointly draw a new blueprint for the high-quality, sustainable development of the zinc industry. Qingdao Haiyan Chemical Co., Ltd. will attend this grand event, discuss industry development trends with industry peers, and work together to advance the zinc industry to new heights. Click to register now and join us to witness and participate in this momentous and far-reaching industry event, co-creating a glorious new chapter! Qingdao Haiyan Chemical Co., Ltd. is located in the Wenquan Subdistrict Office, the core area of the Qingdao Blue Silicon Valley, Shandong Province, covering an area of 33,600 m² with a building area of 25,000 m². It is mainly engaged in the production of zinc oxide, including indirect-process zinc oxide and new-process zinc oxide. The "Haiguan Brand" zinc oxide is popular in many application fields such as rubber, tires, zinc salts, electronics, and coatings. Its current annual capacity is 80,000 mt. The company is actively advancing the construction of a new plant in Southeast Asia, with a planned total capacity of 100,000 mt. Since its establishment in 1986, Qingdao Haiyan Chemical has upheld the principle of quality-based operation, taking the lead in the industry by introducing advanced detection equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, laser particle size analyzers, and specific surface area detectors to ensure the quality of its outgoing zinc oxide, earning unanimous praise from clients. Its products are currently sold to major tire enterprises in and outside China, including Bridgestone, Continental, Yokohama, Sailun Jinyu Group, Giti Tire, Cooper Tire, Zhongce Group, Xiamen Zhengxin, Prinx Chengshan, Triangle Tire Co., Ltd., Shandong Linglong, Anhui Double Coin, and Doublestar Group. The company took the lead in the industry to pass the IATF 16949 quality system certification, ISO 9001 certification, ISO 14000 certification, and ISO 45001 certification. It fosters a corporate culture of "Love the factory, dedication, integrity, and friendliness," and "Establish a craftsman spirit to achieve excellent quality." "The Haiyan people regard quality as life and customers as God," always offering the best products, the best service, and the best reputation to users; serving users is our constant theme. ◆ Contact ◆ Cheng Zhiqiang 15154239999 Sun Xitang 18669862770 Long press and scan to register now 2026 SMM Zinc Conference

In June, secondary zinc oxide prices continued to rise. How will they perform going forward?

[Some Enterprises Start Maintenance, Zinc Oxide Operating Rate Declines] End-use demand, currently no obvious highlights in the end-use demand for zinc oxide, and overall demand for electronic-grade zinc oxide orders is relatively stable; however, orders for rubber-grade and feed-grade zinc oxide are affected by rising raw material prices for end-use products and mediocre market demand, resulting in mediocre market demand...

2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Against the backdrop of intensifying global macro volatility and China's deepening high-quality development drive, the zinc industry is undergoing profound transformations: tightness on the ore side and the release of smelting capacity are creating structural tensions, diverging domestic and international inventories reflect the complex supply-demand rebalancing, and technological innovation is emerging as a key driver to resolve these contradictions and reshape the landscape. New energy, new-type infrastructure and other priority areas of the 15th Five-Year Plan are injecting fresh momentum into traditional zinc consumption, while the green, low-carbon and circular economy is also accelerating the restructuring of the industry's logic under the impetus of technological innovation. With the collective support of upstream and downstream zinc industry enterprises, industry associations and all relevant stakeholders, the 2026 SMM Zinc Industry Conference and the 8th Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Development and Technological Innovation Forum, the 14th Zinc Salts, Zinc Oxide and Zinc Secondary Resources Development Forum, and the Cast Zinc Alloy Development Forum is about to be held on August 6-8 in Qingdao, Shandong. The conference is themed "Harnessing Zinc Strengths, Building the Zinc Industry, Embarking on a New Journey", with a dual driving force of macro perspectives and fundamental analysis, closely aligning with the high-quality development mainline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and focusing on four key dimensions: macro policies, supply-demand patterns, global trade, and technological innovation. It aims to drive cost reduction and efficiency gains through technological breakthroughs, respond to market fluctuations with collaborative innovation, and jointly paint a new blueprint for the high-quality and sustainable development of the zinc industry.‌ Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metallic Material Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will be present at this grand event, to discuss industry development trends with peers, and jointly propel the zinc industry to new heights. Click the to register now and participate in this meaningful and far-reaching industry event, and jointly create a brilliant new chapter! Established in 2012 with a registered capital of 39.8 million yuan, Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metallic Material Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is located in Baoding, Hebei, a historic city in China, situated in the heart of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei triangle. Rooted in the galvanizing market of North China, it serves the nationwide galvanizing market. The company boasts a comprehensive management system and a quality and technical service system with full participation. It has obtained certifications including "Quality Management System ISO 9001", "Occupational Health and Safety Management System ISO 45001", and "Environmental Management System ISO 14001". Its trademarks "Baoding" and "Aoqisheng" are registered with the State Trademark Office. The company holds 7 invention patents and 37 utility model patents. Through deep cultivation in the industry, it has earned numerous prestigious provincial qualifications and honors. It has successively been recognized as a Hebei Province Sci-tech Small and Medium-sized Enterprise, Hebei Province Innovative SME, Hebei Province "Specialized, Sophisticated, Distinctive, and Innovative" SME, Hebei Province "Specialized, Sophisticated, Distinctive, and Innovative" Demonstration Enterprise, and a provincial-level manufacturing single-champion demonstration enterprise. It has established the Hebei Province Enterprise Technology Center and Hebei Province Zinc-based Alloy Innovation Center, and was honored as a Hebei Province Green Factory. In 2021, Baoding Aoqisheng New-type Metal Material Manufacturing Co., Ltd. cooperated with the National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Metal Coating of China Iron & Steel Research Institute to build the Baoding Alloy New Material Production and Research Base project. The company enjoys high visibility in China’s hot-dip galvanizing alloy manufacturing industry. Its main products include: Zn-Al alloy, Zn-Ni alloy, multi-element rare earth alloy, Zn-Bi alloy, Zn-Sb alloy, Zn-Al-Mg alloy, and various other new-type functional zinc-based alloys. ◆ Contact Us ◆ 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

[Finished Product Inventories Rise, Zinc Oxide Operating Rate Continues to Decline] This week, the operating rate of zinc oxide enterprises recorded 57.11%, down 0.34 percentage points WoW. On the inventory side, due to weakening end-use demand in some segments, some enterprises' finished products experienced inventory buildup...