SMM, January 3:
This week, the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy recorded 57.40%, up 1.34 percentage points WoW. Raw material side, zinc prices hovered at highs this week, with a slight pullback after the New Year's holiday, prompting some downstream enterprises to restock at lower prices, leading to an increase in raw material inventory. The rise in the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy this week was partly due to some enterprises ramping up production to prepare inventory ahead of the Chinese New Year, driving the overall operating rate higher. Additionally, procurement by some die-casting zinc alloy enterprises to fulfill recent end-user orders also contributed to the increase in overall production. In terms of actual orders, enterprises reported that orders for small hardware in the real estate sector performed generally average throughout the year, while orders for auto parts and zippers showed no significant changes at present. Some end-user factories have already closed for the holiday, and with zinc prices continuing to hover at highs, the operating rate may rise slightly next week if enterprises affected by weather-related pollution resume production.
