In April 2024, SMM data showed that China's refined zinc output was 504,600 mt, a month-on-month decrease of 20,900 mt or 3.99%, and a year-on-year decrease of 6.56%. The cumulative output from January to April was 2.1 million mt, a year-on-year decrease of 0.47%, basically in line with expectations. Domestic zinc alloy production in April was 95,500 mt, an increase of 1,100 mt from the previous month.
In April, the output of domestic smelters declined, mainly due to routine maintenance of smelters in Xinjiang, Yunnan, Gansu and other places, which resulted in a significant decrease in output. In addition, there was a certain decrease in output due to equipment maintenance and raw material problems at smelters in Henan, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Hunan. The smelters in Inner Mongolia, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai resumed after maintenance, contributing a certain increase in output.
SMM predicts that domestic refined zinc production in May 2024 will increase by 26,800 mt from the previous month to 531,400 mt, a year-on-year decrease of 5.86%, and the cumulative production from January to May will be 2.631 million mt. The output increased in May, mainly due to the production resumption after maintenance and increase in output at smelters in Gansu, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Hunan, Henan and Sichuan. The release of new production capacity in Hunan will also contribute a certain increase in production; but there will be a certain decrease in output due to raw material problems and equipment maintenance in Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hunan and other places.
