China Zinc Concentrate TCs Stay Flat, Further Falls Expected

Published: May 13, 2016 09:51
TCs of domestic zinc concentrate (50%) held stable at 5,100-5,300 yuan per tonne (zinc content) this past week.

SHANGHAI, May 13 (SMM) – TCs of domestic zinc concentrate (50%) held stable at 5,100-5,300 yuan per tonne (zinc content) this past week, and those for imported zinc concentrate (50%) were $110-130 per dry metric tonne (DMT), according to SMM data.

Domestic zinc concentrate TCs are expected to fall in the near term, SMM expects.

SMM understands TCs of domestic zinc concentrate were lowered for some smelters in Hunan and Gansu. Domestic zinc concentrate supplies remain limited. Raw material inventories at some smelters are only sufficient to 2 weeks of production. Supply tightness in North China is expected to ease, though, as an increasing number of mines restart due to warmer weather.

Losses from imported ore expanded 200 yuan to 1,000 yuan per tonne (zinc content) compared with domestic ore this past week, SMM calculates. 


China Zinc Concentrate TCs by Region (Unit: yuan per tonne)

Region

Week ending May 6

Week ending May 13

Change

Inner Mongolia

5200-5700

5200-5700

0

Yunnan

5200-5500

5200-5500

0

Hunan

5100-5300

5100-5300

0

Guangxi

5100-5200

5100-5200

0

Shaanxi

5100-5350

5100-5350

0

Sichuan

5100-5500

5100-5500

0

For news cooperation, please contact us by email: sallyzhang@smm.cn or service.en@smm.cn. 


Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
5 hours ago
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
Read More
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
[SMM Nickel Flash] Based on nickel ore prices from 25 days ago, smelter profits for high-grade NPI remained high this week. However, from the current raw material side, ore prices from both the Philippines and Indonesia increased, while auxiliary material prices saw a slight pullback, leading to an increase in the cash cost of producing high-grade NPI from spot ore. At the same time, high-grade NPI prices experienced some pullback, making it difficult for smelter profits to see sustained improvement.
5 hours ago
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
5 hours ago
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
Read More
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
[SMM Nickel Flash] This week, due to a sharp decline in futures triggering arbitrage selling, high-grade NPI prices fell significantly. However, after the selling activity subsided, upstream quotations and the market center gradually returned to normal levels, supported by cost factors. Looking ahead, as the Chinese New Year holiday approaches, market activity is expected to remain subdued, and high-grade NPI prices are projected to hover at highs with limited fluctuations.
5 hours ago
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
5 hours ago
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
Read More
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
[SMM Nickel Flash] The SMM average price of 10-12% high-grade NPI fell 17.2 yuan/mtu WoW to 1,035.8 yuan/mtu (ex-factory, tax included), while the Indonesia NPI FOB index average price dropped 2.06 $/mtu WoW to 131.2 $/mtu. At the beginning of the week, futures hit limit-down, and nickel prices fell sharply WoW, driving the emergence of arbitrage supplies sold at low prices, leading to a significant decline in high-grade NPI prices.
5 hours ago