ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 13/12: Lead, zinc rise as LME base metals mixed; Glencore to restart Lady Loretta zinc mine in 2018; EV revolution said a ‘disruptive force’ to metals

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday December 13.

Lead and zinc closed in positive territory on Tuesday December 12, a mixed day for London Metal Exchange base metals despite news that Glencore will restart its Lady Loretta mine. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Tuesday.

Glencore will add 100,000 tonnes of zinc to the market when it restarts its mothballed Lady Loretta mine in the first half of next year, the company said on December 12, bringing material back after a two-year pause.

The rise of electric vehicles will be a “disruptive force” to the metals industry, with higher prices required to incentivize a supply-side response and the next generation of mine products, according to Glencore chief executive officer Ivan Glasenberg.

Chile’s Empresa Nacional de Mineria has suspended operations at its Paipote copper smelter in the country’s Atacama region after workers took strike action, the state-owned company said on Tuesday.

The United States posted further gains in imports and exports of brass mill products during October, fueled by the automotive and construction industries, according to the Copper & Brass Fabricators Council.

The American Iron and Steel Institute expects US President Donald Trump’s administration to turn in a key report on its Section 232 investigation into steel imports by the January 16, 2018, deadline.

What to read next
Following an initial consultation with the market, Fastmarkets is proposing to:  The new specifications would be as follows, with amendments in italics: MB-CU-0002 Copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents/lb Quality: Grade A 99.9935% min copper cathode conforming to LME specifications BS EN 1978:2022 – Cu-CATH-1 or Grade 1 Electrolytic Copper Cathode ATSM B1115-10 Quantity: Min […]
Fastmarkets’ 2025 outlook for key raw materials and ingredients used in the production and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods.
Vale Base Metals plans to boost annual copper production to 700,000 tonnes by 2035, aiming to become a top-five global producer of nickel and copper. CEO Shaun Usmar highlights a focus on productivity, cost optimization and sustainable growth. With strong assets in Canada and Brazil, Vale is well-positioned to meet rising global demand.
Fastmarkets has corrected its fob Australia alumina index, which was published incorrectly on Monday June 2 and Tuesday June 3 due to a back-end calculation error. Fastmarkets has also corrected all the related inferred indices. On June 2 the following prices were published incorrectly: Fastmarkets’ MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, was published in error as $375.59 per […]
Mexico’s strategic role in automotive nearshoring is fueling demand for recycled aluminium, with investment in scrap-intensive sectors boosting its non-ferrous secondary markets. Despite tariff uncertainties, USMCA compliance and EV production growth continue to attract global manufacturers.
Goldcorp founder Rob McEwen is back in the spotlight with a bold bet on copper in Argentina. The $2.5 billion Los Azules project, set to become Argentina’s first major copper mine in over 30 years, is reshaping the country’s mining industry while raising sustainability standards. Positioned as a key player in addressing a global copper shortage, the project highlights innovation, persistence and a commitment to meeting the growing demand from global electrification.