Hunan Province has launched the second round of its provincial ecological and environmental protection inspection "look-back" campaign. The first batch of seven inspection teams has been fully deployed since June 13, 2026, covering the cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou, Yueyang, Shaoyang, Hengyang, Huaihua, and Zhangjiajie. According to market sources, some lead-zinc mines have suspended production as a result of the inspections. SMM will continue to monitor and assess the potential impact on zinc concentrate supply.

According to SMM, a zinc mine in North China continued processing lower-grade ore throughout June, resulting in a month-on-month decline of approximately 500 metal tonnes in zinc concentrate production. Output is expected to decrease further in July.

[Zinc Concentrate Production Update] SMM understands that a zinc mine in southwest China remained suspended throughout June. The resumption of production is now expected to be delayed until mid-July, which is expected to bring an increase of nearly 500 mt in metal content.

This week’s weekly TC for domestically produced Pb50 remained unchanged at an average of 200 yuan/mt Pb, while the average weekly TC for imported Pb60 was revised down to -$165/dmt. During the week, TCs for domestically produced standard ore held steady, but the market for high-grade lead concentrates (lead content above 55%) remained tight, with mainstream transactions primarily at zero or negative TCs. Additionally, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Dachaidan in Haixi, Qinghai, during the week; according to SMM, lead and zinc mines in Qinghai were unaffected and production remained normal. For imported ore, limited arrivals and high sulphuric acid prices meant smelters had strong demand for ore, pushing TCs down further, with some silver-lead ore prices reported at -$260/dmt. Amid expectations for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, disruption to lead concentrate supply has been minor, but market estimates suggest that if sulphuric acid prices fall sharply, thereby impacting primary lead smelter production, lead TCs may only then have a chance of stopping their decline. In the short term, ore supply remains tight.

On June 4th, Ivanhoe Mines announced that the Kipushi Mine produced a record 25,677 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in May, up 12% from the previous record set in January 2026. During the month, Kipushi mined and hoisted 85,811 tonnes of ore. As of the end of May, surface high-grade run-of-mine stockpiles stood at approximately 12,000 tonnes, grading around 37% zinc, while lower-grade stockpiles totalled approximately 254,000 tonnes at an average grade of around 22% zinc. Kipushi’s year-to-date zinc production reached approximately 110,000 tonnes, putting the mine on track to meet its 2026 production guidance of 240,000–290,000 tonnes and rank among the world’s four largest zinc mines. Construction of Kipushi’s second tailings storage facility was more than 90% complete, with the first deposition of tailings expected in October 2026.

According to the latest customs data, China imported 447,700 mt in physical content of zinc concentrates in April 2026, down 17.95% MoM from March (97,900 mt in physical content) and down 9.49% YoY. Cumulative zinc concentrate imports from January to April totaled 2.0021 million mt in physical content, up 16.92% YoY cumulatively.

[Penoles Releases Q1 2026 Production Report] Penoles released its Q1 2026 production data. For the zinc mine segment, its zinc concentrates production reached 66,600 mt in the quarter, up 15.6% YoY, mainly driven by the resumption of operations at Tizapa and improved grades and recovery rates at Juanicipio, Sabinas, and Fresnillo. For the zinc smelting segment, its zinc production reached 48,100 mt in the quarter, up 14.7% YoY, primarily due to an increase in the volume of concentrates processed by the zinc smelter, which had undergone its annual planned maintenance shutdown in Q1 2025.

Spot silver surged 7.07% on May 11, breaking above $86/oz. Peru, a leading global silver producer, issued an energy crisis emergency decree on the same day. With mining operations highly dependent on stable energy, the shortage is expected to reduce global marginal silver supply, further boosting prices amid low inventory levels.

[No Impact on Lead-Zinc Mine Production in Hunan for Now] Due to the fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan Province, the market paid close attention to local mine production. According to SMM, all fireworks producers in Hunan suspended production, while lead-zinc mines mainly conducted self-inspections, with no significant impact on production for the time being. SMM will continue to follow up on subsequent developments.

According to Mining.com, BMC Minerals has intersected high-grade massive sulphide mineralization in drilling at the Krakatoa zone of its Kudz Ze Kayah (KZK) copper-lead-zinc project in Canada's Yukon Territory, while government permitting has also made positive progress. BMC reported on Monday that the first hole to verify Krakatoa, K26-560, intersected 25.1 meters of mineralization at a depth of 327.5 meters, grading 180 g/mt silver, 9.7% zinc, 1 g/mt gold, 0.3% copper, and 3.4% lead. The Krakatoa zone is adjacent to the ABM main deposit of the KZK project, located approximately 260 kilometers southeast of Whitehorse. "The K26-560 intersection reinforces our confidence that the Krakatoa zone hosts thick, high-grade mineralization that extends beyond the limits of our current mineral resource estimate," said BMC CEO Michael McClelland in a press release. "This strengthens our conviction that Krakatoa has sufficient potential to add resources to the mine plan and extend the mine life of the KZK project." Government Green Light The company's 20,000-meter drilling program yielded significant results just one week after the Yukon territorial and federal governments announced positive decisions on the development of the KZK project. In 2020, the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board recommended approval of the project, and this document carried forward the 2022 and 2024 decisions. Indigenous Opposition However, the KZK project now faces opposition from the Kaska Indigenous groups. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), last week the RRDC (Ross River Dena Council) expressed disappointment with the government's decision, stating that the project was in the wrong location and should not be allowed to proceed. In previous objections, the Indigenous peoples claimed that the federal and Yukon governments had not addressed their concerns about the mine's potential impact on wildlife — particularly caribou migration — and the environment. On April 13, BMC President Steven Michael stated in a release that the government decision allowed the company to continue advancing its permit applications. "We will continue to work toward our ultimate goal — to build and deliver a successful, long-life project that brings lasting, tangible benefits to the Kaska Nation while creating significant, long-term value for shareholders and all Yukon residents," he said. BMC plans to obtain a quartz mining license and a water license, and hopes to make a final investment decision on the project by the end of 2027. Confirming Historical Grades Hole K26-560 at the Krakatoa zone was drilled between two holes completed in 2016, both of which intersected similar grades. Hole K16-369 intersected 8 meters of mineralization at a depth of 385 meters, grading 102 g/mt silver, 12.2% zinc, 0.8 g/mt gold, 1.5% copper, and 0.5% lead. Hole K16-363 intersected 20.8 meters of mineralization at a depth of 323.2 meters, grading 218 g/mt silver, 8.6% zinc, 2 g/mt gold, 0.3% copper, and 3.7% lead. Although the Krakatoa zone is not included in the KZK reserves, the 2025 indicated mineral resource totaled 18.3 million mt grading 148 g/mt silver, 6.3% zinc, 1.4 g/mt gold, 0.9% copper, and 1.9% lead, representing 87 million ounces of silver, 1.1 million mt of zinc, 827,000 ounces of gold, 164,000 mt of copper, and 346,000 mt of lead; the inferred mineral resource totaled 800,000 mt grading 143 g/mt silver, 7.2% zinc, 1.2 g/mt gold, 1% copper, and 1.7% lead, representing 4 million ounces of silver, 58,000 mt of zinc, 30,000 ounces of gold, 8,000 mt of copper, and 13,000 mt of lead. Probable Reserves Based on the 2023 estimate, the ABM deposit had probable reserves of 15.7 million mt grading 138 g/mt silver, 5.8% zinc, 1.3 g/mt gold, 0.9% copper, and 1.7% lead, representing 70 million ounces of silver, 915,000 mt of zinc, 666,000 ounces of gold, 136,000 mt of copper, and 266,000 mt of lead. KZK could rank among the largest zinc mines in the Yukon. While Fireweed Metals' Macpass project has a larger resource base with an indicated mineral resource of 56 million mt grading 5.49% zinc, representing 6.7 billion pounds of zinc, the KZK project is more advanced. A 2023 feasibility study showed the KZK project had a net present value of $835 million (at a 7% discount rate), a pre-tax internal rate of return of 42%, and a mine life of 9 years. The pre-production capital cost for this open-pit project was $492 million, with a payback period of two years. This study was based solely on the reserve estimate of the ABM deposit.