LME Zinc Plunges 2.5% from Four-Year High, Driven by Chinese Export Expectations and Copper Pullback

Published: Sep 10, 2026 19:11

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[SMM Flash] Sep 10 — LME zinc plunged from its highs. As of 19:00 Beijing time, LME zinc fell to USD 3,960/t, down around 2.5%. The price reversed sharply just one day after hitting a more-than-four-year high of USD 4,065/t yesterday. The decline was mainly driven by mounting expectations of Chinese export deliveries onto the LME, compounded by a sharp pullback in LME copper amid shifting tariff expectations, which weighed on risk appetite across the base metals complex. Keep watching the LME time spreads (contango/back) and the pace of zinc warrant deliveries going forward.

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