US secondary zinc alloy prices decreased by 1-2¢/lb on Tuesday amid muted demand.
The weekly Davis Index for Zamak #3 dropped by 2¢ to $1.16/lb and fell by a penny for Zamak #2 to $1.20/lb on Tuesday, as market participants tried determining the coronavirus outbreak’s long-term impacts on supplies.
The Index for Zamak #7 declined by 2¢ to $1.16/lb and decreased by the same amount for Zamak #5 to $1.18/lb. The Davis Index for zinc alloys decreased by 2¢ for ZA #12, ZA #27, and ZA #8 to $1.23/lb, $1.24/lb, and $1.21/lb, respectively, on Tuesday.
Zinc alloys demand has been flat, according to market participants, who don’t expect the virus outbreak to impact zinc alloys unless there’s a shortfall in Chinese refined zinc production. If that occurs, demand will be affected globally, and Europe will feel it more acutely than the US.
The LME zinc cash contract, upon which secondary zinc alloy prices are calculated, decreased by $64 to close at $2,147.85/mt on Tuesday, compared with $2,221/mt on Feb 4.