WBMS: Global Zinc Market in 119,000-Ton Surplus in January

LONDON, Mar. 18 -- The global refined zinc market recorded a surplus of 119,000 metric tons in January, the World Bureau of Metal Statistics said Wednesday.

The market was in a 386,000 ton surplus for all of 2009.

World zinc demand was 249,000 tons higher in January 2010 than in the same month a year ago, the statistics bureau said, without providing the absolute figures. Refined zinc production was also higher in January than the "very low levels recorded at the beginning of last year," the statistics bureau added, without providing any figures.

Global slab zinc production in January was 1.095 million tons while consumption was 976,000 tons.