The Iijima Zinc Refinery will celebrate its 40th year in operation in 2010. The refinery beganrnoperation in 1971 as the large-sized seaside plant jointly owned by DOWA and other five non-ferrousrncompanies. The economic environment surrounding the Japanese zinc industry has changed dramaticallyrnin the last 40 years through the first and second oil crisis, the yen’s appreciation by the Plaza Accord, therntariff reduction for metals, and the lowering of treatment charges and metals prices. As a result, allrndomestic non-ferrous mines and two zinc refineries in Japan were obliged to shut down. This paperrnreviews the actions taken by the Iijima Zinc Refinery to survive through this severe period and describesrnthe future role the zinc refining industry should have in Japan.
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