LME Zinc to Stay Weak (2017-6-14)

Nyrstar has launched a strategic review of its Budel zinc smelter in the Netherlands, citing elevated European energy costs, intense competition for zinc concentrate and historically low treatment charges. The company said Budel has been losing money, while the Dutch government’s decision not to include grid-cost relief for energy-intensive industries in its 2027 budget has added further pressure. The review is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, with operations continuing as normal during the process. Budel has an annual refined zinc capacity of 315,000 tonnes. The smelter was placed on care and maintenance in January 2024 due to high energy costs before restarting in May that year. The review outcome could become an important variable for European refined zinc supply.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 28 Sep , 2026

Sivers Semiconductors announced a $30 million expansion of its indium phosphide (InP) manufacturing facility in Glasgow. Upon completion, the site is expected to support annual production of over 100 million CW DFB lasers. Work will begin in H2 2026, with operations targeted for Q4 2027. Sivers linked the investment to anticipated AI datacenter and optical-networking customer ramps and expects InP lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers to play a growing role in energy-efficient optical connectivity. SMM views the expansion as direct medium-term support for high-purity indium demand. However, current output, utilization and indium intensity were not disclosed.