SMM News, August 21:
According to the latest customs data, China’s imports of die‑cast zinc alloys stood at 2,347.84 tonnes in July 2026, down 10.37% month‑on‑month. The cumulative imports for January‑July reached 18,226.4 tonnes, falling 31.81% year‑on‑year.
On the export side, China exported 1,461.37 tonnes of die‑cast zinc alloys in July 2026, a month‑on‑month drop of 26.73%. Cumulative exports over January‑July totalled 8,542.71 tonnes, surging 165.24% year‑on‑year, maintaining a strong year‑on‑year growth momentum. Overall, both imports and exports of Chinese die‑cast zinc alloys declined in July from June, with exports posting a far steeper drop than imports.
Breakdown of July import and export flows:
Imports (total: 2,347.844 tonnes) Import sources remained concentrated in Asia and Oceania, with South Korea, Australia and Japan as top suppliers.
South Korea: 810.292 tonnes (34.51%), down 226.45 tonnes month‑on‑month
Australia: 533.112 tonnes (22.71%), up 162.88 tonnes month‑on‑month
Japan: 442.990 tonnes (18.87%), down 75.26 tonnes month‑on‑month
Thailand: 213.016 tonnes (9.07%), down 67.90 tonnes month‑on‑month
Cambodia: 153.390 tonnes (6.53%), up 153.39 tonnes month‑on‑month
Additional supplies came from Hong Kong of China, Azerbaijan and Georgia at 77.563 tonnes, 48.000 tonnes and 48.000 tonnes respectively, all recording month‑on‑month increases.
South Korea, Australia and Japan together accounted for 76.09% of July’s total imports. Australia contributed the major import increment with a month‑on‑month gain of 162.88 tonnes, while shipments from South Korea, Japan and Thailand retreated. In general, import origins stayed highly concentrated yet performance across individual sources diverged.
Exports (total: 1,461.370 tonnes) Exports were heavily concentrated in Asia, where Vietnam held a dominant position.
Vietnam: 1,228.538 tonnes (84.07%), up 428.68 tonnes month‑on‑month
Bangladesh: 89.931 tonnes (6.15%), up 10.65 tonnes month‑on‑month
Saudi Arabia: 75.000 tonnes (5.13%), up 21.01 tonnes month‑on‑month
Thailand: 24.868 tonnes (1.70%), down 148.05 tonnes month‑on‑month
Malaysia: 20.675 tonnes (1.41%), up 20.68 tonnes month‑on‑month
Paraguay: 19.632 tonnes (1.34%), down 4.31 tonnes month‑on‑month
Asia remained the core export destination in July. Shipments to Vietnam hit 1,228.538 tonnes, representing 84.07% of monthly exports and rising by 428.68 tonnes versus June. Exports to Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia also improved, whereas shipments to Thailand fell markedly.
Looking ahead, the low SHFE‑LME zinc price ratio, together with domestic price competitiveness and sufficient supply, will underpin China’s die‑cast zinc alloy exports. Exports are expected to stay relatively active in the near term, with Southeast Asia remaining the primary export destination. As for imports, given ample domestic supply, weak end‑user demand and limited price competitiveness of overseas material, there is little room for import growth.
