Korea Zinc to Invest $6.6B in U.S. Critical Minerals Project

Published: Apr 8, 2026 16:29

Save

South Korea’s Korea Zinc plans to invest $6.6 billion to develop a major critical minerals smelter and U.S. headquarters in Tennessee, marking the state’s largest-ever private investment. The project will span Clarksville and Gordonsville, including a new manufacturing facility and the reopening of a former mine.
The integrated smelter will produce 13 nonferrous metals such as zinc, copper, and lead, supporting key industries including defense, aerospace, and automotive. The project is expected to create over 740 jobs and reduce U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals. Developed in partnership with the U.S. government, which may take a 40% stake, construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with site preparation starting in 2026.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Common.Time.minsAgo

Inventory and Copper Prices Both Declined, Spot Trades Better Than Yesterday [SMM South China Spot Copper]

Common.Time.minsAgo

Shanghai Copper Market to Stay Strong Amid Tight Supply and Rigid Demand

The Shanghai spot copper market is expected to remain relatively strong tomorrow. In Jiangsu, available spot cargo remains tight, making procurement difficult for some downstream buyers and supporting spot premiums. The inter-month Contango spread has widened, strengthening suppliers' willingness to hold positions for delivery and reducing lower-price selling. Despite cautious downstream buying after the recent price pullback, rigid restocking demand persists. Overall, spot premiums against SHFE copper 2604 are expected to hold current levels.

Common.Time.minsAgo

Tight Regional Supply and Widening Price Spread Between Futures Contracts Support Shanghai Spot Copper's Shift to Premium [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]

[SMM Shanghai Spot Copper] Looking ahead to tomorrow, the Shanghai spot copper market is expected to continue its relatively strong trend. From a regional structure perspective, available spot cargo in Jiangsu remains tight, with some downstream enterprises facing difficulties in procurement, providing strong support for spot premiums. From a market structure perspective, the inter-month Contango price spread between futures contracts has widened further, and suppliers have shown a stronger willingness to hold positions for delivery under the contango structure, with low willingness to sell at lower prices and strong sentiment to hold prices firm. Demand side, although downstream procurement has become more cautious following the pullback in copper prices, rigid restocking demand persists. Overall, supported by the combined effects of tight regional supply and the price spread structure, spot prices against the SHFE copper 2604 contract are expected to maintain current levels tomorrow.

Common.Time.minsAgo