Enterprise shipment pace slows down; die-casting zinc alloy operating rates maintain fluctuating trend [SMM die-casting zinc alloy weekly review]

This week, the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy recorded 47.5%, down 0.27 percentage points WoW. On the inventory side, raw material inventories at alloy plants were basically flat WoW this week, while finished product inventories saw a slight buildup as shipments became more difficult this week. End-user hardware enterprises had already completed a round of restocking earlier, and with some bearish sentiment toward zinc prices in the market, their willingness to purchase and pick up goods pulled back this week, leaving alloy plants under pressure on shipments. In addition, fundamentals for real estate and auto parts hardware end-users remain weak, and end-user stockpiling is notably disrupted by zinc price fluctuations, which in turn suppresses production enthusiasm at alloy plants. Looking ahead to next week, some enterprises face significant finished product inventory pressure, and the operating rate of die-casting zinc alloy faces further downside risk, expected to pull back to 47.16%.