Industrial metalSymbol: Zn
Zinc
Used in galvanizing steel, batteries and die-casting.
Assessed Benchmark
$2,710
tonneSource: LME
24HDown 0.3%
YTDUp 1.1%
Criticality Assessment & Strategic Uses
Zinc is designated as a critical mineral due to its high economic importance across modern technical applications and potential supply-chain concentration risks.
Primary Industrial End-UsesPower electronics, specialized alloys, defense systems, infrastructure networks.
USGS StatusClassified under Energy Act Section 7002 quantitative risk framework.
Supply Chain & Processing Bottlenecks
Like many strategic commodities, the primary vulnerability for Zinc lies in processing and chemical refining concentration rather than raw extraction alone.
IEA 2026 Supply Insight
Refining capacity diversification for Zinc remains constrained by technical know-how requirements, long capital deployment cycles, and environmental permitting timelines.
Classification Matrix
- Category Group
- industrial
- Subcategory
- Industrial metal
- System Tag Alignment
- steelbatteriesconstruction
Explore Related Frameworks
Compare how Zinc is prioritized across national critical mineral strategies.
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