China Refined Zinc Output in Dec Rose amid Varied Production in Different Regions

SHANGHAI, Jan 31 (SMM) - Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that China's refined zinc output was 620,000 mt in December 2022, up 4% year-on-year.

On the one hand, a large zinc smelter in north-west China completed its annual production target ahead of schedule and controlled its output in December. A smelter in north China was compelled to curtail its refined zinc production due to equipment failure.

Despite the above-mentioned output decline, the refine zinc production in December still climbed thanks to the full-capacity operation of smelters in Shaanxi and concentrated production resumption of smelters in Sichuan.

In January, the profits of zinc smelters have been high, thus most of the domestic large and medium-sized primary zinc smelters still maintained relatively high operating rates during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday, except for secondary zinc smelters in Sichuan, Hunan and Jiangxi that were closed during the holiday, according to SMM survey.

Besides, the data from the NBS showed the refined zinc output in China totalled 6.8 million mt in 2022, up 1.6% year-on-year.

In fact, the refined zinc output did not pick up until the year-end as the production was restricted by environmental protection, covid-19, and power rationing. It is the significant expansion of refined zinc output in the final four months of last year that contributed to a slight increase in the total output of the year.