WORLD SUPPLY OF ZINC: CURRENT TRENDS AND OUTLOOK

摘要

We believe the world is in the early stages of an enhanced period of economic growth which will be driven largely by major additions to infrastructure and rising living standards in Asia. This region of the world is expected to continue to record the highest growth rates and will continue to expand its share of world zinc consumption. This will mean increasing demands on the world's zinc mines and smelters in the years ahead. In 1996-2000 Western World smelters will be operating at or close to full capacity and increased export of Western concentrates to under-utilized East Bloc smelters will occur. In the first five years of the twenty-first century, abnormally high exhaustion rates will require an increase in additions to world mine production to replace the exhausting mines and to meet expanding consumer requirements for zinc.