- Zinc dross offers rise by INR 1,000/t w-o-w
- Import surge signals strengthening domestic demand
India’s zinc scrap and dross market witnessed a marginal week-on-week uptick in prices, supported by resilient domestic demand and cues from the global market, despite a drop in benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) levels. According to BigMint’s latest assessment, zinc diecast scrap (Middle East origin) was priced at $2,200/t CFR west coast India, marking a $10/t increase from the previous week.
On the global front, LME zinc was trading at $2,785/tonne, down by $86/tonne compared to last week’s $2,871/tonne, reflecting some weakness in international pricing even as regional fundamentals held firm.
In the domestic market, zinc dross was assessed at INR 224,500/t ex-Delhi, up by INR 1,000/t week-on-week, as per BigMint’s latest assessment. The zinc oxide (99% Zn) segment also saw upward movement, with prices heard in the INR 218,000-219,000/t ex-Delhi range. Offers rose by INR 3,000-4,000/t, driven by active procurement from end-use sectors like ceramics, rubber, and fertilizer manufacturing.
In North India, big-sized zinc scrap (Tukdi, 97% Zn) was offered at around INR 222,000/t ex-Delhi, while mid-sized Tukdi (97-98% Zn) held steady at INR 212,000/tonne. However, actual buying interest for mid-sized Tukdi was mostly heard in the INR 208,000-210,000/t range, indicating some resistance from buyers to elevated offers.
Zinc scrap imports surge in H1CY’25
India’s zinc scrap imports rose sharply to 49,432 tonnes in H1 CY2025, a 45% increase from 34,112 tonnes during the same period last year. This uptick underscores growing feedstock demand among secondary smelters and recyclers.
A closer look at scrap types reveals that imports of Zinc Saves rose from 24,279 tonnes in H1 CY24 to 32,881 tonnes in H1 CY25–an increase of 35%. Meanwhile, Zinc Score scrap more than doubled, from 6,602 tonnes to 11,864 tonnes, marking a 79.7% surge year-on-year. The rise in Score scrap suggests enhanced collection and processing efforts targeting higher-value zinc content materials.
Outlook
While LME strength may support sentiment in the near term, buyers remain cautious amid elevated prices and tight scrap availability. Market activity is likely to stay rangebound until broader demand recovery or easing of supply constraints.
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