Zinc Imports by China Capped as Record Inventories Curb Demand

Zinc imports by China, the largest user, may be capped even after the government lowered tariffs on shipments of the metal, as record domestic stockpiles curb demand for overseas purchases.

“Zinc isn’t something China is really short of, like copper, so the tariff cut won’t really help imports,” said Wang Xiang, an analyst at Cofco Futures Co. Net imports may grow 20,000 metric tons, or 7 percent, to about 300,000 tons this year, unchanged from an earlier estimate, Wang said.