- Weaker demand under environmental inspections decreased zinc premiums in China, while supply tightness increased premiums in Europe
- Lead premiums in India and Southeast Asia are flat while high LME prices discourage imports
- Both markets are dominated by 2018 contract negotiations amid freight-cost hikes
Zinc premiums down in China, up slightly in Europe and remain steady in Southeast Asia and US
In China, zinc premiums fell this week amid weak demand and a closed import window,
import losses were recorded at $60.34 per tonne on Tuesday December 5.
Shanghai premiums in warehouse and
cif basis Shanghai premiums stood at $140-150 per tonne and $130-140 per tonne, respectively, both down $10 per tonne from last week.
Metal Bulletin assessed
Shanghai-bonded zinc stocks at around 85,000-90,000 tonnes at the end of November,
down 45.3% year on year.
A slowdown in Chinese domestic demand amid cross-country environmental...
