Against a backdrop of ample inventories and muted spot buying, zinc ingot premiums have come under pressure as downstream buyers sit on stocks they scooped up at lower prices. Galvanized sheet and coil mills ran at lower capacity in late August, while seasonal heat and spotty rain curbed end-user orders for air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines. On the supply side, port stocks swelled and large smelters-maintained output thanks to favorable sulphuric acid costs and new production lines.
