China’s Zinc Concentrate Output Fell in January due to Closures during CNY Holidays

According to SMM survey, zinc concentrate output stood at 128,600 mt in metal content in January, down 58,300 mt in metal content month-on-month but up 2,000 mt in metal content year-on-year. The overall operating rates of zinc concentrate were 50.9%, down 26.4% on the month. Note: In 2023, the production capacity of new samples was adjusted from 3.249 million mt/year to 3.262 million mt/year, an increase of 13,000 mt/year.

According to SMM research, in January, the output of zinc concentrate has dropped significantly month-on-month, mainly because domestic lead-zinc mines were closed for 7-15 days for CNY holiday, except for a few mines remaining in normal operation during the holiday. Some were closed for over a month. In January, the mining and beneficiation of lead-zinc concentrates were affected to varying degrees. There were many lead-zinc mines in Inner Mongolia, Tibet and other regions that have routinely shut down for two to three months due to climate reasons. Entering February, domestic lead-zinc mines gradually resumed the production. However, SMM understood that although the mines started operations earlier, it still takes a period of time for the equipment to start up and for the workers to return to work. The output of concentrate products in February will be still unstable, and will return to normal levels in March.