Korea Zinc to build $7.4 billion smelter in US

SEOUL, Dec ?15 (Reuters) - ?Korea ?Zinc said on Monday that it plans to build ?a smelter to produce ?key metals and ?minerals in the United States in a project that would cost $7.4 billion.

Korea Zinc said ?the U.S. ?government asked the company to build the facilities, to ?respond to the expansion of ?global supply chain risks and the increasing demand ?for non-ferrous metals and strategic minerals in the United States.

The ?smelter plans to produce major non-ferrous metals such ?as zinc, lead, and copper, precious metals such as ?gold and silver, and strategic minerals such as antimony, germanium, and gallium. It will start commercial operations gradually in 2027, ?it said.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Heejin KimEditing ?by Ed Davies)

Source: Reuters.