The European Commission has taken in responses to a questionnaire it sent out to the metal industry regarding the impact that the merger of Glencore and Xstrata will have on competition, where concern has centred on the zinc market.

Historic payment structures are enabling zinc smelters to raise primary output even as market-related terms such as metal premiums and concentrate treatment charges remain low; but the opposite is true for lead.

The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Monday February 24, with price action down by 2.4% and trading at its lowest level since July 2016, while copper futures also fell through nearby support levels.

Good morning from Fastmarkets MB’s offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Friday November 16.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were split into two camps during morning trading on Tuesday May 28, with a stronger dollar and comments from US President Donald Trump suggesting the US was “not ready” to make a trade deal with China pressuring the complex.

MMG’s Dugald River zinc mine in Australia achieved commercial production on May 1, the company said on Monday May 7.

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday February 20.

Key data from December 3 pricing session in Aisa.

The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was higher during morning trading on Tuesday March 31, with upward price action supported by an 8,825-tonne fresh cancelation, while strong Chinese purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data bolstered the base metals complex.

Volatility is the key risk to lead and zinc prices for the next few years and traders should begin to hedge their risk, Oliver Nugent, commodity strategist at ING Bank, said on a panel at Metal Bulletin’s Lead & Zinc conference in London on Thursday March 22.