ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 06/04: Zinc down on LME; CME average daily trading vols hit all-time high in first quarter; South32 inks annual lead concentrate supply deal

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday April 6.

Zinc prices came under further pressure on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday April 5 while the rest of the base metals complex moved higher, with market sentiment improving due to potential talks between the United States and China around trade tensions. Read more in our live futures report.

Here is how prices finished Thursday afternoon.

CME Group’s average daily volumes reached an all-time high of 22.2 million contracts in the first quarter, up 30% year on year, the exchange said on April 3.

Miner South32, which supplies lead concentrates from its Cannington mine in Australia, has signed a 2018 annual lead concentrate supply contract with at least one major smelter that includes a 21.4% drop in headline treatment and refining charges, sources told Metal Bulletin.

Comex copper prices bounced back in US morning trading on Thursday, with the May-delivery contract jumping 6.65 cents to $3.0770 per lb.

Teck Resources Ltd has increased its stake in Compañía Minera Teck Quebrada Blanca SA (QBSA) to 90% through the purchase of private Chilean firm Inversiones Mineras SA, the Canadian company said. QBSA’s principal asset is the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 copper development project in northern Chile.

South Korea’s Public Procurement Service has floated a tender to procure 500 tonnes of grade A copper cathode, according to a notice from the state agency.

JXTG, Japan’s energy and metal conglomerate, expects to post an impairment loss of 65 billion yen ($606.8 million) for its Chilean Caserones copper project following a series of production problems last year. The loss was attributed to changes in the mining plan due to a fault in an ore pit and a review on long-term production plan, the mine’s majority owner said.

In light of feedback received as part of the consultation on its international cobalt price specifications, Metal Bulletin is seeking additional input from those active in the cobalt market.

In the aluminium versus steel debate, experts told American Metal Market that they expect automakers to continue using a mixed-material approach to lightweighting vehicles into the next decade despite the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcing plans to revise greenhouse gas and corporate average fuel economy (Cafe) standards.

Zorba prices are beginning to fall in the United States, with fears of mounting supplies rippling through the market due to China’s 25% tariff on US aluminium scrap imports. All signs point to a steep drop in pricing, according to US buyer and seller sources.

What to read next
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Port of Sohar in Oman are becoming tactical workarounds for base metal exports blocked by the Strait of Hormuz closure, with cargo transiting via land-bridge to other Gulf states, such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – though capacity constraints and elevated logistics costs limit availability, sources with direct visibility of Gulf supply chains told Fastmarkets.
The Mexican aluminium market might be strongly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with supply constraints and consequently higher premiums, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday March 10.
This consultation, which is open until April 8, 2026, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency. The price under review […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments for copper grade A cathode warrant premiums and aluminium P1020A warrant premiums was delayed on Wednesday March 11 because of a procedural lapse. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
Lundin Mining and BHP published a preliminary economic assessment on February 16 for their Vicuña joint venture, projecting average annual copper production of 395,000 tonnes over the first 25 years of operation as Argentina’s copper concentrate pipeline continues to build. PSJ Cobre Mendocino separately confirmed on February 14 that its feasibility study was under way.
Chinese lead smelters turned more bearish on the procurement of raw materials in the week to Friday February 13, amid heightened price volatility in silver, which is often contained in lead ores as an important by-product and contributor to smelter profits, sources told Fastmarkets.