SHANGHAI, Mar.26 – Li Xiongzi, general manager from Zhuzhou Smelting, revealed at the Shanghai Lead & Zinc Summit 2013 that global TC for lead and zinc concentrate has been rising during the past half year, with profit sources for lead and zinc industries tending to shift to smelting operations.

Data show that TC for lead concentrate in global market increased to USD 107/mt this year from 2012’s USD 88.3/mt, up as much as 21%, while that in China’s domestic market was up 2.4% from 2012’s RMB 1,906/mt to RMB 1,952/mt at present.

TC for zinc concentrate across the world rose to USD 210.5/mt from 2012’s USD 191/mt, up 10.2%, and TC in China’s domestic market climbed 19.2% from 2012’s RMB 4,247/mt to RMB 5,060/mt.

Li also noted that global lead and zinc mines have taken up a majority of profits in the industrial chain, but this situation started to change with TC for lead and zinc concentrate increasing.

SMM attributes the increase in TC to oversupply in lead and zinc concentrate seen in 2012. Global lead concentrate supply was in surplus by 292,850 mt, and zinc concentrate supply was in surplus by 369,900 mt in 2012.