US zinc secondary alloys prices rose slightly across all grades on Tuesday amid a quiet market.
The official LME zinc cash offers closed Tuesday at $1.2558/lb, slightly up from $1.2451/lb on Nov 24, while the official three-month LME zinc contract rose by $31.50/mt from last week, closing Tuesday at $2,787.50/mt from $2,756/mt on Nov 24.
Buyers are contemplating their future purchases with many suppliers witnessing customers pausing further negotiations until the prices adjust to more realistic levels. The shorter trading month of December and upcoming holidays are also affecting buying decisions at this time, a Midwest producer indicated.
The weekly Davis Indexes for Zamak #5 rose by 0.3¢/lb to $1.459/lb delivered US consumer. Zamak #2 increased by 0.1¢/lb to $1.474/lb delivered, while both Zamak #3 and Zamak #7 moved up by the same amount to $1.444/lb delivered on Tuesday.
The index for ZA 8 increased by 0.6¢/lb to $1.494/lb delivered US consumer while ZA12 moved up by 0.2¢/lb to $1.514/lb delivered. ZA 27 saw the highest rise of all grades, climbing by 0.7¢/lb to $1.534/lb delivered US consumer.