SMM Aluminum Wire and Cable Holiday Survey

2.13
With the Chinese New Year approaching, what are the holiday plans for domestic aluminum wire and cable enterprises in 2026? This SMM survey covers 10 aluminum wire and cable enterprises, involving a total capacity of 752,000 mt, and clearly categorizes them into three types based on their holiday schedules.

The first category consists of enterprises that maintain production during the Chinese New Year. These enterprises have saturated orders and robust demand for aluminum wire cargo pick-up, with production workshops largely remaining operational. They continue production and stockpiling to alleviate post-holiday delivery pressure, with core support coming from key power grid projects such as ultra-high voltage orders. The second category includes enterprises that follow the national holiday schedule or make minor adjustments, with holiday durations mostly ranging from 4 to 12 days. These enterprises still have delivery tasks after the holiday, with some retaining production shifts or reducing operational load. High-conductivity orders account for a significant proportion, and raw materials have been stockpiled before the holiday to balance production pace and labor cost control. The third category comprises enterprises that take early holidays or have holiday durations longer than the national holidays, ranging from 17 to 21 days. Affected by poor orders, losses, insufficient stockpiling willingness, and production plans, these enterprises opt for early holidays to reduce pressure. They are generally smaller in scale and face limited cargo pick-up pressure after the holiday.

After excluding enterprises that maintain normal production during the Chinese New Year, the average holiday duration of the surveyed enterprises is about 12.1 days, slightly longer than in previous years. Although supported by the accelerated construction of ultra-high voltage projects, some enterprises exhibit high operational enthusiasm. However, the trend of weak orders among small and medium-sized enterprises continues, and the operating rate of the aluminum wire and cable industry is expected to enter a deep adjustment in February due to seasonal factors.