Japanese Official Zn Price Rises by 15,000 Yen/t

Mitsui Mining & Smelting revised up its zinc ingot selling price, the market indicator, by 15,000 yen to 260,000 yen per tonne for December shipment, announced on Thursday. The price marked the highest level since May 2008 due to the overseas market price upsurge and weakening yen exchange rate. The monthly averaged price would be 252,100 yen without any more revision within December.

Zinc settlement at London Metal Exchange increased by US$ 79.5 to US$ 2,371 per tonne on Thursday compared with the price on December 8 along which Mitsui Mining & Smelting previously revised the price. Telegraphic transfer selling rate became 90.94 yen per US dollar on Thursday, weaker by 1.39 yen than December 8.

After the announcement, Mitsubishi Shindoh and Nippon Shindo, Japanese copper alloy fabricators, raised their brass turning scrap purchase price by 6 yen to 447 yen per kilogram on Thursday. These 2 firms previously increased the price on Wednesday when copper ingot price increased.