Zinc price
Table of Contents
Zinc price graphs and tabulations
The current zinc price fluctuates between €2,95 and €3 per kilo.
In March of this year, the price rose to its highest point with a price of €3,31 per kg. But since May we have seen a small downward trend. The expectation is that this will continue or stabilize.
In January of 2021 the price was only €2,21. But we see that all raw materials are increasing in price and that this trend will continue at least for the upcoming year.
For zinc we expect no abnormal rises, so the prediction is that it will stay relatively affordable. This raw material has, in comparison to other raw materials, been rising the least in 2022.
Zinc is mostly used as a food supplement and an additive for food. But it can also be used as a coloring agent.
You often see zinc being used in roofing or rain pipes as well, because it is very resistant to corrosion.
In America, most of the zinc is used for coins. A small layer of copper is added on top of it. Zinc is relatively cheap and makes it very useful to use in these cases. In war times in the Netherlands this was also used for all coins.
What is the price of zinc based off of?
The price of zinc is mainly based off of the price that it makes in the London exchange. Just like other metals, the London Metal Exchange is a very important factor for the overall price.
Worldwide, China, just like with the other metals, is one of the largest producers. They produce over 4.21 million tons per year, which creates enough supply all year round.
The supply of zinc is a lot larger than the demand for it. This makes the price very stable and fluctuations are far and few in between, which makes is quite a cheap raw material.
The last couple of years, the demand for zinc has been rising, because we use it as a food supplement. It is proven to be great for nails, skin and hair growth and strength. Besides that, this material also has a positive influence on the fertility of men and women.
These countries produce zinc
In total there are 12 countries that are very active in their production of zinc. Based on these production costs, the price of zinc is also determined.
Zinc is a raw material that can be found in mines. Especially China possesses a lot of these mines and is therefore the largest producer.
Next to China, countries such as Peru, Brazil and Sweden have a smaller amount of production of zinc.
In the United States and Mexico, production of zinc has been growing the most. But still this production is nowhere near that of China.
India is another player that tries to become a bigger player in the production of this raw material.
Some facts about zinc
1: The raw material zinc is mostly used for rain pipes and gutters. But the last few years the usage of zinc as a food supplement has been increasing.
2: Zinc is a so-called spore element. It can be used in small amounts to increase growth.
3: In the world of pharmaceuticals, this raw material is often used to create ointments.
4: Zinc is used in part in alkaline batteries.
5: This raw material can be used as a pigment of coloring agent as well.
6: A lot of coins used to be made where this raw material was a large of. Nowadays it is mostly only used in American coins.
7: You can use zinc as an alloy to create connections or during soldering. This is often done in combination with copper, messing, silver, or tin.
8: This raw material is very resistant to corrosion and therefore often used in a small last layer in materials used outside.
9: The rim of a car or bus often contains a small part of zinc as well.
10: Chemically, zinc is used often as a catalyst.
What is the zinc price per kilo?
Currently, the price for zinc is around 3 euro per kilo. This was a little bit over 2 euro about a year ago. The previous years were quite stable. But after inflation, the corona crisis and high energy costs, the price simply had to rise. Luckily it still is one of the cheapest raw materials in the world.
Zinc price per kilo at the exchange
The zinc price per kilo is determined at the metal exchange in London, known as the LME. It depends on multiple facts, but the price is highly dependent on the supply and demand of the raw material. There have not been many zinc shortages, which is why it has stayed relatively cheap. We do notice that, just like other raw materials, these prices do fluctuate every now and again. It is best to keep an eye on the day prices to get a good view on it.
Concluding on the price of zinc
The price of zinc is important to many companies, but also to the private sector. It is mainly used to create pipes, gutters and roofing materials. Besides this, it is used more and more as a supplement to food. This happens, because it has a positive influence on fertility, hairs, nails and skin.
Zinc is used in the testing phase of hydrogen gases. In the future it could very well be that the demand for zinc will surpass the supply of it. Currently though, there are more than enough supplies, which makes the price of zinc pretty stable.
A lot of people know the element zinc and its raw material from batteries, but it is used in a lot more things.
Back in the day, it was used to create coins. From the 14th century onwards, this was actually the main part of them. During the war in the Netherlands this raw material was also used a lot for coins. In current times, though, this practice is only still found in the United States.
This raw material is also often used in ointments in the pharmacy. It has a good effect on skin irritations and eczema.
This raw material can also be used to increase the fertility and growth of certain types of soil.
