SHANGHAI, Dec 7 (SMM) – China's output of refined zinc in November dipped 0.63% on the month and stood at 456,400 mt. This was down 10.4% from a year earlier, and brought the output in January-November to some 4.88 million mt, standing 1.95% lower than the same period last year.
Treatment charges (TCs) for zinc concentrate extended their gains last month and this bolstered producing enthusiasm across domestic smelters. Some smelters raised output by 500-1,000 mt in November on top of their regular production. Hunan Xuanhua Zinc Industry recovered operation in the second half of November. However, these failed to offset declines in output affected by mill relocation.
Zhuzhou Smelter Group relocated its smelting facility in Zhuzhou city of Hunan province, and this affected its output last month. Yunnan Chihong Zinc & Germanium lowered output as it had met annual production targets. Hanzhong Zinc Industry kept operation flat from October after small-scale maintenance on furnaces affected 1-2 days of operation. Production across smelters is unlikely to rebound much in the short run.
While Hunan Xuanhua plans to expand production further in December, relocation of Zhuzhou Smelter Group will continue to weigh on overall output.
Production schedules across smelters show that zinc output is expected to fall 0.36%, or 1,600 mt, from November, to 454,700 mt in December. This dips 5.99% from a year ago, and will lower overall production in 2018 by 2.31% on the year.
