China is expected to increase its imports of zinc concentrates this year amid rising supply and idle domestic smelting capacity, Metal Bulletin has learned.
"Global zinc concentrates output is expected to rise this year and China has plenty of [idle] smelting capacity as operating rates last year were not high," one trader pointed out. Global mined zinc production is expected to increase by 6% in 2018, according to the International Lead & Zinc Study Group (ILZSG). Glencore announced it is to add 100,000 tonnes of zinc to the market in 2018 when it restarts its mothballed Lady Loretta mine in the first half of this year after a two-year pause. In early November, MMG officially opened its Dugald River project in Queensland, Australia, set to be one of the world's ten largest zinc mines. Zhuzhou Smelter, China's largest zinc smelter and a subsidiary of Minmetals Group, will be...