[Zinc Price Center Rose, Demand Performance Varied Across Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Segments] This week, operating rates of die-casting zinc alloy remained rangebound. From the perspective of end-user orders, demand performance varied across segments. Demand for orders of electronic products and auto parts was relatively strong recently, while traditional hardware products were dragged down by the real estate market and performed relatively average; orders for luggage zippers were weak, but apparel zipper orders at some enterprises were relatively steady......

According to the latest customs data, China’s total exports of die-casting zinc alloy from January to February reached 689.33 mt, up slightly by 0.9 percentage points YoY on a cumulative basis; imports, however, totaled 48.11 million mt, down 35.46 percentage points YoY on a cumulative basis. Overall, China’s die-casting zinc alloy trade from January to February showed a pattern of slightly higher exports and a significant pullback in imports.

[Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Operating Rate Continued to Rise, While Market Demand Was Still Awaiting Improvement] This week, die-casting zinc alloy enterprises in the market had basically resumed normal production, driving the operating rate higher. In terms of orders, orders in the Chinese market were mainly still in the stage of recovery and improvement, with demand performance relatively average, while some export orders remained weak......

[Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Plants Gradually Resumed Production; Operating Rates Continued to Rise This Week] This week, the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy declined compared with before the holiday, mainly because there were still relatively few enterprises that had resumed production, and most alloy plants were expected to arrange production resumptions after the Lantern Festival......

Meanwhile, the Chinese New Year break for die-casting zinc alloy enterprises was extended longer than expected, increasing slightly by 0.4 days from the pre-holiday expectation of 23.1 days to 23.5 days.

[SMM News] On the first working day after the holiday, die-casting zinc alloy enterprises began to resume production gradually, but the overall pace of production resumption was relatively slow, and the industry's operating rate did not reach 10% this week. Currently, the demand for hardware and zipper orders received by enterprises is favorable, which has accelerated the shipment pace of some enterprises.

During the week, the zinc ingot market in Guangdong underwent a contract rollover, with spot quotations officially switching from the 2603 contract to the 2604 contract. Against the backdrop of the SHFE zinc market maintaining a Contango structure, spot premiums and discounts for zinc ingots in Guangdong continued their downward trend after the rollover, further declining from -80 yuan/mt before the rollover to -125 yuan/mt today, highlighting persistent short-term downward pressure.

[Chinese New Year's First Work Week, Die-casting Zinc Alloy Enterprises Gradually Resume Production] This week, the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy decreased compared to that before the holiday, mainly because there are still few enterprises resuming production, and most alloy plants plan to arrange production resumptions after the Lantern Festival.

[Operating Rates Down Over 20 Percentage Points MoM, Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Enters Chinese New Year Lull] This week, operating rates of die-casting zinc alloy producers fell sharply, mainly due to concentrated holiday arrangements at large plants during the week, leading to a sharp drop in operating rates. It is expected that next week, enterprises still in production will also arrange holidays successively by the end of this week, and operating rates of die-casting zinc alloy producers will decline further...

[SMM Express] Recently, SMM communicated with 20 domestic die-casting zinc alloy enterprises regarding their holiday arrangements before the festival. The combined annual capacity of these enterprises reached 829,000 mt, with an average holiday duration of 23.1 days, an increase of 1.1 days compared to the same period last year.