Shanghai Metals Market published on 24 September 2026 a dual-holiday operating survey for China's aluminum processing industry covering Mid-Autumn and National Day 2026. SMM's summary is that supply-side resilience stayed high, with localized phased cuts rather than an industry-wide shutdown. Pre-holiday downstream stockpiling offered some demand support. After the holiday, SMM flags resumption pace, downstream order improvement, and aluminum price trends as the variables to watch.
By segment: leading primary aluminum alloy plants held about a 60% operating rate and planned normal holiday production because downstream clients had no shutdown plans, though high prices and soft end-use demand still constrained trading. Plate, sheet, strip and foil leaders kept continuous runs with mature holiday staffing; some peers planned October maintenance without a holiday stop, while others aimed to cut operating rates to about 50% with rotating line rests. Secondary alloy producers mixed continuous runs with brief or extended stops, citing tight raw materials, high costs, stricter tax-invoice compliance, and customer holiday schedules. Mainstream aluminum wire and cable enterprises largely stayed in production, with only some lines under maintenance; power-grid delivery expectations were described as weak versus last year.
For importers, the practical read is supplier-specific. Large continuous-process aluminum plants may ship or at least keep metal flowing through 1-7 October, while smaller or scrap-dependent shops may stretch closures. Confirm cargo-ready dates and QC slots before assuming Golden Week equals zero output.