Hunan Launches Second Round of Environmental Inspections, Affecting Lead-Zinc Mines

Bunker Hill Mining announced that it has successfully produced its first concentrate at the redeveloped Bunker Hill Mine in Idaho’s Silver Valley, marking the site’s first product in 45 years. The company plans to ship this initial material to the Trail Smelter. The historic mine had been shut since 1981 due to environmental regulations, after previously yielding approximately 165 million ounces of silver and 4.5 million tonnes of base metals (primarily lead and zinc). Under new management, the facility underwent six years of extensive modernization, financing, and underground rehabilitation. Bunker Hill anticipates reaching commercial production by the end of 2026, once operations sustain 65% of the 1,800 tonnes per day nameplate capacity for 90 days. Concurrently, ongoing underground exploration targeting the Cate-8 Vein has progressed well, with all 16 core holes intersecting visible galena (lead-zinc) mineralization, and an additional 28 drill-holes are planned to support future mineral resource estimates.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 30 Jun , 2026

[SMM Market Update] Lead-acid battery end-use consumption is sluggish, with weak purchasing demand for lead ingots and lead alloys. Some refined lead and alloy smelters have cut or halted production; meanwhile, domestic secondary crude lead smelters are under sales pressure. Going forward, attention should be paid to the opening of the import window; if imported crude lead flows in significantly, the sales pressure on domestic secondary crude lead smelters will intensify.