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Zinc is a solid transition metal that can be found in air, water, plants, animals, and humans. However, the majority of zinc is mined from the earth's crust. Zinc is used for many industrial processes and materials, but about half of the zinc mined globally is used to galvanize steel, which is widely used in sectors ranging from construction to infrastructure. and automobiles to home appliances, machinery and shipbuilding. The metal can be used as anti-corrosion agents, chemicals and as semi-manufacturing agents. Zinc is often used as part of alloys, especially in combination with copper such as brass. Much of zinc mining takes place underground, but this method of production accounts for more than half of all mining. The largest global zinc reserves are in Australia and China, although the world's two largest zinc producers are China and Peru.

Under pressure from negative forecasts for global industrial demand and new respite in supply concerns, zinc futures dropped to $2,600 per tonne, not far from the one-year low of $2,560 seen on April 9. Following an exchange of tariff increases, the US increased tariffs to 145% and threatened to impose additional barriers on specific metals to negatively impact the industrial outlook for major economies, while China settled levies on the US at 125% and added a number of firms to its export-restriction list. Meanwhile, the demand for zinc in galvanization was under pressure from US President Trump's strong steel tariffs, which led to a spike in coil prices because of the country's restricted capacity. On the supply front, expectations that mining demand may rebound this year due to added capacity in Russia and DR Congo drove treatment charges to rise internationally, shortly after Chinese smelters faced negative treatment charges in the end of 2024.

In 2020, the main zinc ore exporters are Australia ($1.38 billion), Peru ($1.01 billion), the United States ($860 million), Mexico ($631 million) and Bolivia ($566 million). . In 2020, the main importers of zinc ore were China ($2.12 billion), South Korea ($1.14 billion), Belgium ($596 million), Canada ($591 million) and Spain ($572 million).