Global zinc and lead premiums held firm in the week to Tuesday March 17 following the dent to physical appetites stemming from the global spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) while Asian markets began a partial recovery.
Partial restarts in China enlivened spot demand for material, but this is yet to manifest in regional zinc and lead premiums.Automaker shutdowns have dented US' zinc and lead demand but premiums hold steady in the face of uncertainty.European premiums continued to trade flat with already-illiquid markets yet to feel the pinch from operational closures.US zinc, lead premiums steady amid growing market uncertainty"It's still early, so hard to distinguish what effect, if any, the virus will have on zinc trade," a zinc trader said. "I'm...