[Will Refined Zinc Maintain Net Imports in April with Exports Increasing in May?] According to the latest customs data, refined zinc imports in April 2026 were 6,000 mt, down 8,400 mt or 58.27%% MoM, and down 78.62% YoY. Cumulative refined zinc imports from January to April were 49,000 mt, down 61.98% YoY cumulatively. Refined zinc exports in April were 3,900 mt, down 16.22% MoM and up 59.21% YoY.

Conference Name: AIAC 2026 SMM (15th) Aluminum Industry Annual Conference Conference Date: October 12-13, 2026 Conference Venue: Guiyang, China Conference Theme: Long-term Contracts · Trade · Market Trends Organizer: SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. In 2026, the global aluminum industry is at a critical juncture of profound transformation and strategic transition. As the world's largest aluminum producer (accounting for approximately 60% of global aluminum production), China's industrial dynamics profoundly influence the global market landscape. The industry currently faces multiple challenges and opportunities, including global resource allocation and import dependence, the supply-demand pattern of alumina and aluminum, long-term contract trading models and risk management, and responses to geopolitical tensions and trade barriers. Against this backdrop, China's aluminum industry urgently needs to achieve breakthroughs through technological innovation, enhance efficiency and set benchmarks through management upgrades, and ultimately realize a strategic leap from "scale advantage" to "quality advantage," advancing steadily on the path of high-quality development. Thisis scheduled to be held in Guiyang on October 12-13, 2026. Organized by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., the conference will focus on global bauxite allocation strategies, innovation in long-term contract pricing models, optimization of price forecasting models, application of risk hedging tools, energy transition pathways, and technological innovation directions, aiming to help enterprises seize opportunities for high-quality development of the aluminum industry under the "dual carbon" goals and achieve sustained industrial growth. Conference Value | Conference Value This conference focuses on upstream resource security, long-term contract trade, market insights and price forecasting, risk hedging, energy transition, and technological innovation sharing, with particular emphasis on global bauxite allocation, the supply-demand balance of alumina and aluminum, and long-term contract pricing models. It aims to help enterprises grasp market trends, optimize resource allocation, address trade challenges, and promote the healthy development of the aluminum industry. Attendees | Attendees This conference will invite representatives from premium enterprises across the aluminum industry chain (bauxite, alumina, aluminum, aluminum processing), traders, end-users, government leaders, trade associations, authoritative experts, industry research institutions, financial institutions, and other industry representatives. The conference is expected to attract over 500 attendees. Past Conference Guests Company Name Company Representative Name Name Job Title Job Title Main Products Main Products Shandong Aluminium Industry Association SHANDONG ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Wen Xianjun Former Vice President of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA), Honorary President of Shandong Aluminium Industry Association China Aluminum International Trading Group Co., Ltd. China Aluminum International Trading Group Co., Ltd. Li Guangfei Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, General Manager Aluminum, alumina, bauxite SPIC Aluminum International Trading Co., Ltd. State Power Investment Corporation Aluminum International Trading Co., Ltd. Liu Renjian General Manager Bauxite, alumina, aluminum and related products Gansu Dongxing Aluminium Co., Ltd. Gansu Dongxing Aluminium Co., Ltd. Li Jipeng General Manager Aluminum, aluminum billet, aluminum coil, aluminum rod Shandong Hongtuo Industrial Co., Ltd. Shandong Hongtuo Industrial Co., Ltd Jiang Zhen Sales General Manager Alumina, aluminum Henan Zhongfu Industrial Co., Ltd. Henan Zhongfu Industrial Co., Ltd. Qian Yu General Manager Aluminum, aluminum plate/sheet, strip and foil Henan Shenhuo International Trading Co., Ltd. HENAN SHENHUO INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO., LTD. Zhang Linhai General Manager Aluminum Yidian Holdings Group International Trade Co., Ltd. Yidian Holdings Group International Trade Co., Ltd Meng Tao General Manager Aluminum Yidian Holdings Group International Trade Co., Ltd. Yidian Holdings Group International Trade Co., Ltd Fan Weiguo Deputy General Manager Aluminum Ningbo Kaiton International Trade Co., Ltd. Ningbo Kaiton International Trade Co. Ltd. Wu Chuanghui General Manager Aluminum, copper cathode Shanxi Zhaofeng Tiancheng Aluminum Co., Ltd. Shanxi Zhaofeng Tiancheng Aluminum Co., Ltd. Wu Xiaojun Chairman Aluminum plate/sheet and strip Jiangxi Bestoo Energy Co., Ltd. Jiangxi Bestoo Energy Co., ltd. Zhao Yonghua Vice President Aluminum Shaanxi Nonferrous Yulin New Materials Group Co., Ltd. Shaanxi Nonferrous Yulin New Materials Group Co., Ltd. Gao Wenjie Deputy General Manager Aluminum Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co.,Ltd. Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co.,Ltd. Li Wenchao General Manager Shanghai Russia Xibo Economic and Trade Co., Ltd. Shanghai Russia Xibo Economic and TradeCo..Ltd Deng Gang President of China Marketing Primary Aluminum Luoyang Xiangjiang Wanji Aluminium Co., Ltd. LUOYANG XIANGJIANG WANJI ALUMINIUM Wang Wenjie General Manager Alumina Shandong Aluminium Industry Association Shandong Aluminium Industry Association He Faping President and Secretary General Shandong Aluminium Industry Association Shandong Aluminium Industry Association Li Zhenlei Director of Industry Information Department Henan Provincial Nonferrous Metals Association Henan Provincel Nonferrous Metals Association Li Ruxi Vice President Shanghai Aluminum Trade Association SHANGHAI ALUMINUM TRADE ASSOCIATION Liu Lilin Secretary General Association Shanghai Aluminum Trade Association SHANGHAI ALUMINUM TRADE ASSOCIATION Shen Yue Deputy Secretary General Association Huolinguole City Aluminum Industry Association Huolinguole City Aluminum Industry Association Gao Jinzhi President, Deputy Director of Huolinguole Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee Huolinguole Regional Economic Cooperation Financial Services Center Huolinguole Regional EconomicCooperation Financial Services Center Wang Kaifei Director Wenshan Prefecture Aluminum Industry Association Wenshan Prefecture Aluminum IndustryAssociation TBD Association * Only a partial list of attending guests is shown. To obtain the complete directory of the 2025 Aluminum Industry Annual Conference, please contact our customer service. Manager Chu (Miya) 13642049827 chuzhaolan@smm.cn Note: After submitting your information, we will contact you regarding your actual registration progress within 1-3 business days! Conference Content | Agenda This year's conference is planned to consist of two full-day main sessions | a processing and trade matchmaking session | a cross-border arbitrage training session | a public competitive bidding procurement session for bulk raw materials by a multinational aluminum giant (the specific company name is not disclosed for now) | an aluminum industry annual gala dinner | and a field trip to local leading aluminum enterprises. The first-day main session focused on upstream changes in the aluminum industry, energy reshaping and zero-carbon technologies, providing insights into the new course of China's aluminum industry under global supply chain restructuring. The second-day core highlights revolved around strategic opportunities arising from the global aluminum supply gap, with a focus on NEV lightweighting, battery foil and other growth segments, while driving aluminum semis toward high-end breakthroughs through digital transformation. Pending. Content Summary | Abstract I. Geopolitical Black Swans and Energy Crisis: Contraction of Aluminum Supply Outside China and Restructuring of Global Trade Flows II. Shifts in the Global Bauxite Supply Chain: Guinea's Policies, Geopolitical Risks and China's Resource Security III. Inert Anode Technology: The "Zero-Carbon Revolution" in the Aluminum Industry and Industrialisation Timetable IV. Middle East Black Swans and China's Opportunities: Aluminum Semis Export Strategy Amid the Global Aluminum Supply Gap V. Reshaping Energy Costs in the Aluminum Industry: From "Securing Supply" to "Reducing Costs" VI. As Electricity Market Reform Deepens, How Much Room Remains for Low-Cost Power in the Aluminum Industry? VII. Lightweighting Applications of Aluminum Alloys Across All NEV Scenarios VIII. Growth Segments for Aluminum Plate/Sheet, Strip and Foil: Demand Explosion in Battery Foil, Energy Storage and Packaging Materials IX. AI Large Models Empowering Aluminum: From Intelligent Electrolysis Cells to Full-Process Digital Factories X. Implementation of Guinea's New Policies: How to Balance Long-Term Contract Supply Security and Localisation Considerations ······ Past Industry Leaders: Wen Xianjun, Former Vice President of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) and Honorary President of Shandong Aluminium Industry Association; Mamadou Cherif LY, General Manager of AISC Group; Wito Krisnahad, President of PT Kalimantan Aluminum Company; Ousmane Kaba, Director of Guinea's National Ministry of Mines and Geology; Bachir Diallo, Deputy Director of Guinea's Mining Infrastructure Development Bureau; Dong Chunming, General Manager of Sunlight Metal/ASI Consultant; Wang Lijiao, Deputy General Manager of Henan Mingtai Aluminum Co., Ltd.; Liu Xiaolei, Big Data Director of SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd.··· *Only a partial list of guest speakers is shown. This year's conference is expected to feature 37+ presentation reports. If you have any questions about the specific arrangements and core content of the conference, please contact us. Contact: Chu Zhaolan Tel: 13642049827 (same number on WeChat) Email: chuzhaolan@smm.cn Conference Official Website Note: After submitting your information, we will contact you regarding your actual registration progress within 1-3 business days!

[Domestic Ore Market Tightness Persists, Zinc Concentrate TCs Continue to Decline]: Based on weekly data, the SMM Zn50 domestic weekly average TC fell 150 yuan/mt Zn WoW to 550 yuan/mt Zn, and the SMM imported zinc concentrate index dropped $8.45/dmt WoW to -$54.2/dmt.

Kazzinc said on Tuesday that its zinc and lead plants at the Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex in eastern Kazakhstan are operating at reduced capacity following last week’s explosion. The incident occurred at Kazzinc’s zinc plant, killing three people and injuring five others. Kazzinc, Kazakhstan’s largest producer of zinc, lead and precious metals and owned by Glencore, has not disclosed the extent of the impact on output. Clean-up operations and an investigation into the incident are still ongoing.

Driven by recovering risk appetite and China's peak demand season, copper prices both in China and abroad bottomed out since late March. However, as SHFE copper returned to the 100,000 level, the tug-of-war between longs and shorts increased, and futures prices shifted to range-bound consolidation. After the Labour Day holiday, copper prices quickly resumed their upward momentum. Today, prices opened higher with a gap and continued to rise, with SHFE copper just one step away from the record high set at the end of January, while LME copper hit a new closing high. What is fueling such strong confidence behind this rally? Deepening Ore-Side Vulnerability Intensifies Supply Disruption Concerns Since the suspension of First Quantum's Cobre Panama copper mine at the end of 2023, spot TC for copper concentrates in China has been caught in an endless downward spiral. Falling from around $80/dmt at the end of 2023, it largely dropped to single-digit levels and moved sideways in 2024. Entering 2025, it further plunged into negative territory, mainly due to successive production disruptions at world-class copper mines including Ivanhoe Mines' Kakula, Codelco's El Teniente, and Freeport's Grasberg mine in Indonesia. Entering 2026, global major copper ore supply growth remained limited, and the ore tightness showed no improvement. The latest data showed that spot TC for copper concentrates in China had fallen below -$90/dmt. With long-term contract TC at zero and spot TC declines accelerating, domestic smelters' production profits mainly relied on surging sulphuric acid prices and firm by-product prices of gold, silver, and other metals to compensate. It was reported that current sulphuric acid revenue could already cover smelters' procurement costs for copper concentrates and part of the processing costs, enabling domestic smelters to maintain relatively high operating rates, and the ore tightness had not yet notably transmitted to the smelting side. It is worth noting that sulphuric acid is not only a by-product of pyrometallurgy but also a core production material for SX-EW copper. For every 1 mt of copper produced, 5–6 mt of sulphuric acid is consumed. Sulphuric acid costs account for 40%–50% of total SX-EW copper production costs, and SX-EW copper production accounts for approximately 20% of global mine copper production. Since the beginning of this year, sulphuric acid prices surged sharply due to multiple factors, and ex-China sulphuric acid supply was periodically disrupted, raising concerns that copper supply in some countries could be affected. Focusing on the reasons behind the sulphuric acid price surge: on one hand, since the escalation of the Middle East conflict on February 28, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been broadly restricted and has recently faced a dual blockade by Iran and the US. Sulphur exports from the Middle East have been impacted, with the DRC and Zambia being the most concentrated SX-EW copper producing regions that are highly dependent on sulphur imports from the Middle East. As sulphur supply has been constrained, sulphuric acid prices have naturally risen in tandem, not only raising local SX-EW copper production costs but also potentially triggering further production cuts if the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues and sulphur disruption risks escalate. On the other hand, to prioritise domestic spring ploughing phosphate fertiliser production and support new energy industry expansion, China has imposed a phased ban on sulphuric acid exports according to industry sources. Chile has a relatively high dependence on Chinese sulphuric acid, with SX-EW copper accounting for around 20% of its output, and the market is also concerned that Chile's SX-EW copper production may be affected. In addition, against the backdrop of an already fragile copper ore supply, frequent news shocks from outside China recently have undoubtedly intensified market concerns. Last week, market rumours suggested that the full restart of Indonesia's Grasberg copper-gold mine, which declared force majeure in September last year, had been delayed by one year, driving SHFE copper sharply higher in the afternoon of 8 May. However, according to the latest update from Freeport-McMoRan, the company still expects Indonesia's Grasberg copper-gold mine to fully resume production by the end of 2027, reaffirming the plan outlined last month and refuting reports that production resumptions could be delayed to 2028. Furthermore, yesterday Peru declared an emergency energy decree due to a natural gas pipeline explosion. Peru's copper production reached 2.63 million mt in metal content last year, ranking third globally. Copper mining and smelting are relatively sensitive to power stability, and the market is concerned that Peru's energy strain may disrupt local copper supply. Overall, China's copper cathode production remains relatively stable, but some major global miners lowered their full-year production guidance in Q1, the ore tightness persists, sulphuric acid supply — a core raw material for ex-China SX-EW copper — is constrained, and there are multiple supply disruption themes on the copper supply side, which can easily boost copper prices once the macro front stabilises. Global Copper Visible Inventory Divergence: China Destocking Provides Support Last year, driven by the US government's threat to impose additional tariffs on imported copper, global copper continued to flow into the US, causing COMEX copper inventories to accumulate continuously while copper inventories in non-US regions remained low, providing sustained support for copper prices. In February this year, the US Supreme Court struck down most of the tariff measures introduced by the Trump administration in 2025. The Trump administration subsequently turned to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to push new global tariff policies. On 7 May, the US Court of International Trade issued a ruling stating that the legal basis for imposing a 10% global import tariff was invalid. The tug-of-war between US courts and the Trump administration over tariffs has continued recently, but the market has certain expectations that the US may subsequently impose additional tariffs on imported copper. Under such expectations, the price spread between COMEX copper and LME copper has shown a slight strengthening trend recently, meaning copper in LME warehouses still has the potential to flow to the US. Specifically, COMEX copper inventories have continued to rebound since mid-April, rising from around 590,000 mt to the latest 620,000 mt, again hitting a multi-year high. Correspondingly, LME copper inventories pulled back from around 400,000 mt in mid-April, declining to 397,700 mt on 6 May. They have rebounded with fluctuations recently, but overall inventories have not exceeded the over-12-year high set in mid-April. SHFE copper inventories fell for the eighth consecutive week, currently dropping to 181,300 mt, the lowest since the beginning of the year. Data source: Webstock Inc. Overall, on the macro front, there are currently disagreements in US-Iran negotiations, but both sides continue the ceasefire with no recent signs of escalation in conflict. Energy prices pulled back from late April levels, inflation concerns eased somewhat, the US dollar index was in the doldrums, and combined with the AI boom lifting global stock markets, market risk appetite was moderate, providing a fertile ground for copper prices to strengthen. Focusing on copper's own fundamentals, inventories outside China remained elevated, but significant prior destocking of China inventories provided support. The ore tightness was difficult to reverse, and supply-side narratives were abundant, meaning copper prices may still hold up well. However, it is worth noting that the Middle East situation remains the biggest macro variable, and the policy path following the Fed Chairman's power transition also deserves close attention. (Webstock Composite)

[No Significant Production Cuts at Smelters in May; Zinc Concentrate TCs Continued to Decline]: Based on weekly data, the SMM Zn50 domestic weekly average TC fell 150 yuan/mt Zn WoW to 700 yuan/mt Zn, and the SMM imported zinc concentrate index dropped $6.5/dmt WoW to -$45.75/dmt.

[No Impact on Lead-Zinc Mine Production in Hunan for Now] Due to the fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan Province, the market paid close attention to local mine production. According to SMM, all fireworks producers in Hunan suspended production, while lead-zinc mines mainly conducted self-inspections, with no significant impact on production for the time being. SMM will continue to follow up on subsequent developments.

On May 5th, according to Reuters, an explosion occurred at Kazzinc’s site. Kazzinc said that it occurred during cleaning work on a smoke extraction system, followed by a fire and partial structural collapse. So far, emergency ministry said the fire had been extinguished. Kazzinc, owned by Glencore, has an annual production of roughly 250-300 kt of zinc, 100-150 kt of lead and around 87.5 kt of copper cathode. Kazzinc hasn't disclosed the specific impact. Based on currently available information, the incident mainly involved smoke extraction/dust-collection equipment, may cause temporary disruption to related operations. There is no evidence so far that the main zinc electrowinning line was damaged. Further updates needed on the scope of any cuts or suspensions and the repair timeline.

[SMM Analysis: 2027 Outlook: Solid-State Battery Signals from Beijing Auto Show] The Beijing Auto Show, which opened on April 24, 2026, became a showcase platform for solid-state battery "real vehicle integration." BYD's sulphide all-solid-state battery debuted in a real vehicle first, featuring 480Wh/kg, with small-batch vehicle installation planned for 2027; Chery's Rhino S achieved an energy density of 600Wh/kg, leading the show. CATL's condensed-matter battery completed aviation verification and is backward compatible with passenger vehicles. Semi-solid-state batteries are on the eve of mass production, with MG already bringing prices down to the 100,000-yuan level. Industry consensus: mass production will begin in 2027, and price parity between liquid and solid-state batteries is expected by 2030.

[SMM Zinc Morning Meeting Summary: Ongoing Middle East Tensions, LME Zinc Trades in a Range]: Overnight, LME zinc opened at $3,468.5/mt. Early in the session, LME zinc touched a high of $3,474/mt before pulling back to near the daily average line in a volatile move. It then hovered at lows, with LME zinc hitting an intraday low of $3,428.5/mt, ultimately closing lower at $3,454/mt, down $12.5/mt or 0.36%. Trading volume decreased to 9,295 lots, while open interest rose by 1,971 lots to 231,000 lots...