Mitsui Mining & Smelting Reduces Zinc Ingot Price by 5,000 yen/t

Mitsui Mining & Smelting announced on Thursday the firm decreases the official zinc ingot price by 5,000 yen to 225,000 yen per tonne for August shipment. The price decreases to the lowest level in 34 months to reflect lower international market. The averaged domestic price is estimated to be 230,700 yen for the month.

Zinc cash price at London Metal Exchange keeps decreasing since the beginning of the month with downward move for nonferrous metals. LME zinc settlement decreased by US$ 24.5 to year-low of US$ 1,634 per tonne on Wednesday from Tuesday. The price was US$ 56 lower than the level on August 8, with which Mitsui Mining & Smelting revised the domestic price before.

LME zinc inventory, which kept less than 155,000 tonnes since end of June, started to increase since end of July. The inventory is near 170,000 tonnes, which is 23 months high. The oversupply concern impacts on the market.