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Chinese zinc smelters consent to change maintenance strategies, Antaike states

Significant Chinese zinc smelters agreed to change planned maintenance on production lines and delay commissioning of brand-new capability, statebacked research home Antaike stated on Thursday, as falling ore processing costs have deteriorated the sector's revenues.

Treatment charges (TCs), or the cost smelters get from miners to process ore concentrate into zinc, have been falling because the fourth quarter of 2023 due to tight ore supply.

Such charges rise during times of raw material surplus and slide throughout durations of shortfall.

The arrangement was reached among 14 smelters on Wednesday at a quarterly industry meeting in the country's northern area of Inner Mongolia, Antaike said in a declaration on its WeChat account, including that the smelters at the meeting accounted for about 70% of China's primary zinc smelting capacity.

China is the world's greatest manufacturer of zinc, which is also utilized to make galvanised steel. The nation produced 4.09 million tons of the metal in the first 7 months of the year, up 5.1%. year-on-year, official information revealed.

Ore supply stays tight. The second-quarter ore output. among major overseas miners all posted yearly drops, with. falling ore grade and unanticipated maintenance curbing supply. It's difficult to see TCs ticking up in the short-term, experts at. SDIC Essence Futures said on Wednesday.

China's imports of zinc focuses dropped 4.8% yearly. in July to 375,373 loads, according to custom-mades data.

Smelters at the meeting also discussed the possible. establishment of a flooring pricing mechanism for zinc concentrate. TCs, Antaike stated, without providing any further details.

Shanghai's most active zinc agreement increased for a. 2nd straight session on Thursday to strike an intraday high of. 23,795 yuan a ton, the greatest since July 18.

(source: Reuters)