Commodity
Zinc
Zinc's main job is stopping steel from rusting. Demand therefore tracks construction and infrastructure more closely than it tracks technology.
Price
What it is used for
- Galvanising steel
- Brass and bronze alloys
- Die-casting
- Zinc oxide in rubber and pharmaceuticals
Supply
Zinc is usually mined with lead and often with silver, so a zinc project's economics frequently depend on more than one metal.
Principal producing countries: China, Peru, Australia, India, United States, Mexico.
Producer list from United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, checked 10 September 2026.