High-silver lead TCs fall below standard level

摘要

The treatment charges for lead concentrates of high silver and lower silver content moved in opposite directions in the latest assessments on Friday November 26, while the price range for zinc treatment charges (TCs) widened for the first time since September. "A supplier of high-silver material told me they expected TCs to turn negative at some point next year," a lead smelter source said. "We are quite pessimistic about the prospects for lead smelting," he added. "Some [of our] peers are already discussing whether we should consider lead to be a by-product and not our main product any more, and that we should look for profits from the recovery of silver and minor metals."