Zinc

Zinc is a bluish-white metal known for its corrosion resistance and ability to form alloys. It is extracted from zinc ores, primarily sphalerite, and is produced in countries such as China, Peru, and Australia. Zinc is mainly used in galvanising steel, alloy production, and the manufacturing of batteries.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Zinc Ingot	Zn Ingot	Various	n/a

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of zinc with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of zinc and buyers to discover new suppliers of zinc.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, foundries, and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

Zinc prices can be tracked through:

Prices for zinc are available through several key market platforms:

1. London Metal Exchange (LME): The LME provides futures contracts for zinc, widely used for hedging and price risk management by participants in the global zinc market​ (LME).
2. Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE): SHFE offers real-time zinc futures prices, a critical benchmark for the Chinese market, one of the largest producers and consumers of zinc​ (SHFE).
3. Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets offers journalistic zinc price assessments for global markets, covering key regions and providing insights into trends affecting supply and demand​ (Fastmarkets).

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

he leading producers of zinc are:

• China – ~30% of global production
• Peru – ~10% of global production
• Australia – ~10% of global production
• United States – ~<10% of global production
• Mexico – ~<10% of global production

Some of the key producers of zinc include:

• Glencore (Switzerland) – ~15% of global production
• Nyrstar (Belgium) – ~10%, specialising in zinc smelting and refining.
• Teck Resources (Canada) – ~10%, focusing on zinc mining for alloy production
• Hindustan Zinc (India) – ~<10%, producing refined zinc for industrial use
• MMG Limited (China) – ~<10%, a significant supplier of zinc concentrates

Zinc is primarily mined from sphalerite ores through underground and open-pit mining operations. The ore is crushed and concentrated using flotation methods to extract zinc. The concentrate is then roasted to remove sulphur, followed by smelting to produce zinc metal. Zinc can also be refined into high-purity ingots for use in various industries.

Zinc is mainly used for galvanising steel (~50%) to prevent corrosion, particularly in construction and automotive applications. It is also used in the production of alloys (~20%) such as brass and zinc-aluminium. Additionally, zinc is employed in battery production (~10%) for rechargeable batteries and in the pharmaceutical industry (~5%) for producing zinc-based medications. Zinc ingots, powder, and concentrates are commonly traded forms.