What is zinc used for?

Galvanizing steel to prevent rust is the single largest use (~50% of demand). Brass (copper-zinc alloy) accounts for about 17%, die-casting (automotive parts, hardware) about 17%, and zinc oxide for rubber, chemicals, and other uses make up the rest.

What happened in the Korea Zinc takeover battle?

In 2024-2025, private equity firm MBK Partners and major shareholder Young Poong attempted a hostile takeover of Korea Zinc. The incumbent Choi family management conducted a buyback and shareholder campaign that ultimately prevailed. Korea Zinc remains under existing management and is the world's largest single zinc smelter.

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Zinc price today: live

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Zinc trades on the LME. Galvanizing steel (anti-rust coating) accounts for roughly 50% of demand, making zinc the most construction-cycle-sensitive base metal. China is both the largest producer and consumer. Teck Resources sold its steelmaking coal business to Glencore in July 2024 and is now a pure-play base-metals company (copper + zinc).

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Zinc price chart

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Zinc mining stocks

Major producers

Source: Yahoo Finance + SEC EDGARFull screener →

#	Company	Commodity revenue	Price	24h %	YTD	1Y	Geography
01	GLNCY Glencore (GLEN.L) Lady Loretta (Queensland), McArthur River (NT, Australia, care-and-maintenance periods 2024-2025), Kazzinc (Kazakhstan). Zinc ~12% of group revenue. Also largest zinc marketing/trading house globally.	~12%	—	—	—	—	Australia · Kazakhstan · Global
02	TECK Teck Resources Red Dog (Alaska, largest primary zinc mine in North America), Trail (BC, smelter). Sold steelmaking coal to Glencore July 11, 2024 (now Elk Valley Resources); now pure-play base metals (copper + zinc).	~18%	—	—	—	—	Canada · USA · Peru
03	TECK Vedanta Resources Hindustan Zinc subsidiary (64.92% owned). HZL operates Rampura Agucha and other Rajasthan mines. India-focused; benefiting from domestic infrastructure demand.	~22%	—	—	—	—	India
04	NEXA Hindustan Zinc (HZNCM.NS) India's largest and lowest-cost zinc-lead miner. Rampura Agucha (world's 2nd largest zinc mine), Sindesar Khurd, Zawar. Vedanta holds 64.92%; Govt of India 29.54%.	~75%	—	—	—	—	India (Rajasthan)
05	BLIDF Korea Zinc (BLNH.KS) World's largest zinc smelter by capacity. Onsan, South Korea. Survived hostile takeover by MBK Partners + Young Poong 2024-2025; Choi family management retained control.	~85%	—	—	—	—	South Korea
06	IVPAF Boliden (BWLPF) Tara zinc mine (Ireland, closed amid low prices 2024), Garpenberg (Sweden), Kevitsa (Finland, nickel-copper). Nordic zinc and base-metals producer with strong ESG credentials.	~35%	—	—	—	—	Sweden · Ireland · Finland

Reddit sentiment

Producer stock buzz

Base MetalsCurated top 5

Zinc producer stocks

All commodity stocks

#	Company	Ticker	Price	24h %	Exchange	Note
01	Ivanhoe Mines Ltd OTC: IVPAF / TSX: IVN	IVPAF	--	--	OTC	Kipushi Zn-Cu DRC — OTC

Ranked by commodity exposure (30%+ rule). Source: CommoditiesTracker hub database, June 2026.

Zinc ETFs

Top funds by AUM

Source: Yahoo Finance + ETF issuer pagesAll zinc ETFs →

Ticker	Fund	Structure	Expense ratio	AUM	YTD	1Y
DBB	Invesco DB Base Metals Fund Invesco	Futures	0.75%	—	—	—
ZINC_L	WisdomTree Zinc (ZINC.L) WisdomTree	Futures	0.49%	—	—	—
XME	SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF State Street	Miners	0.35%	—	—	—
PICK	iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining BlackRock	Miners	0.39%	—	—	—

How zinc prices move

What’s moving this market

Structural fundamentals · Reviewed annually

Supply

China, Peru, and Australia dominate mine supply

China ~30%, Peru ~12%, Australia ~10%, India ~8%, Russia ~5%, Mexico ~5% of global zinc mine supply. Glencore's McArthur River (Australia, care-and-maintenance periods 2024-2025 from weather), Teck's Red Dog (Alaska), and Hindustan Zinc's Rampura Agucha are the world's largest individual mines. Treatment charges (TCs) fell to multi-year lows in 2024 reflecting concentrate tightness.

USGS · ILZSG

Demand

Galvanizing steel drives 50% of zinc demand

Galvanizing (anti-corrosion steel coating) accounts for roughly 50% of zinc demand, followed by brass (17%), die-casting (17%), and chemicals + other (16%). This makes zinc heavily tied to construction activity, automotive manufacturing, and infrastructure spending. China's property downturn has been a structural headwind; India's infrastructure buildout is the emerging offset.

ILZSG · IZA

Policy and macro

Korea Zinc corporate battle and Chinese stimulus are the narrative

The 2024-2025 Korea Zinc takeover battle (MBK Partners + Young Poong vs. Choi family management) was one of the most contentious Korean corporate governance fights in years, ultimately resolved in favor of the existing management. Chinese property stimulus announcements are the primary macro catalyst for zinc demand expectations.

ILZSG · Bloomberg

Key market data

Zinc fundamentals

Annual Demand

~14M t

Galvanizing ~50%, brass ~17%, die-casting ~17%, zinc oxide/chemicals ~10%, other ~6%. China accounts for roughly 50% of global zinc consumption through its manufacturing and construction sectors.

International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG)

Annual Mine Supply

~13M t

China ~30%, Peru ~12%, Australia ~10%, India ~8%, Russia ~5%, Mexico ~5%, other ~30%. Market was broadly balanced in 2025-2026 after concentrate tightness in 2023-2024.

ILZSG · USGS

LME Inventory

See LME

LME zinc warranted stocks are a key physical supply indicator. Q3 2025 saw extreme LME backwardation of $320/t as Asian stocks were drawn toward European and US markets.

LME daily reports

Recycling Rate

~30%

Secondary zinc from die-cast scrap, old galvanized steel, and brass scrap provides roughly 30% of total zinc supply. Recycling rates are lower than lead or aluminum due to the nature of galvanizing applications.

International Zinc Association (IZA)

Top Producer Countries

China + Peru

China produces ~30% of global mine supply; Peru ~12%. Together with Australia, India, and Russia, these five countries account for roughly 65% of production. China also dominates smelting capacity.

USGS

Price Volatility (90-day)

~22%

Moderate volatility, tied closely to Chinese economic data (PMI, property starts). LME zinc can move sharply on Chinese stimulus announcements or major mine disruptions.

Calculated · Daily

2026 price forecasts

Zinc price targets from 20 analysts

Aggregated 2026 price forecasts from major banks, research houses, and industry bodies. Range, median, and revision history — every forecast linked to its source.

Consensus range

View forecasts

See all forecasts

How to invest in zinc

Ways to gain zinc exposure

Full investing guide

ETFs

Zinc ETFs

The most accessible vehicle for retail investors. Trade like stocks, low expense ratios.

DBB ZINC_L XME

Equities

Zinc stocks

Mining and producer stocks offer 1.5-3x leverage to the underlying commodity but carry operational risk.

GLNCY TECK TECK

Futures

Zinc futures

COMEX / LME / NYMEX futures provide direct price exposure with leverage. Requires a futures-enabled brokerage account.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions, answered

The current zinc price is shown at the top of this page from LME ZS futures. LME zinc 3-month is the global benchmark, quoted in USD per tonne.

Zinc price today: live

Zinc price chart

Major producers

Producer stock buzz

Zinc producer stocks

Top funds by AUM

What’s moving this market

China, Peru, and Australia dominate mine supply

Galvanizing steel drives 50% of zinc demand

Korea Zinc corporate battle and Chinese stimulus are the narrative

Zinc fundamentals

Zinc price targets from 20 analysts

Ways to gain zinc exposure

Zinc ETFs

Zinc stocks

Zinc futures

Common questions, answered

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