LONDON, Oct. 20 -- The global zinc market was in a 253,000-metric-ton surplus between January and August this year, the World Bureau of Metal Statistics said Wednesday.

That compares with a surplus of 53,000 tons in the same period in 2009.

Zinc mine production totaled 7.920 million tons, up 9.4% from the January-August 2009 total. WBMS said refined production and consumption were also higher than the low levels recorded at the beginning of last year.

World zinc demand was 883,000 tons higher than in the first eight months of 2009. Chinese apparent demand was 3.444 million, accounting for 42% of the global total.