The global zinc market was facing a 495,000-tonne deficit last year, mainly driven by growing consumption in countries including China and Japan, according to the International Zinc and Lead Study Group (IZLSG).
This compares with a deficit of 122,000 tonnes and a surplus of 170,000 tonnes in 2016 and 2015 respectively, the group said on Tuesday. Refined zinc usage rose by 2.60% to 14,219,000 tonnes from a year ago, boosted by growing use in Australia, Brazil, China, Japan and Taiwan. High zinc demand from China last year led...