From Bob Moriarty at 321gold.com. (Remember, CZN has so much zinc that the silver production is "free" after the metal credits)

Think Zinc

Bob Moriarty
Archives
Feb 22, 2012

I’ve been on the road for six weeks now without the opportunity to write up the several wonderful projects I have been visiting so look forward to a number of pieces coming out shortly.

It should be no surprise to anyone reading the web; China is slowing down after 15 years of record growth. It would not be foolish to believe copper and the base metals should have a pullback based on a reduction in future demand. For one base metal, any demand reduction will be more than met by a more massive supply reduction. That commodity is zinc.

Zinc is the fourth most commonly used metal in the world after iron, aluminum and copper. Two major mines are starting to shut down in 2013 including Xstrata’s Brunswick zinc mine in Canada and Minmetals’ Century zinc mine scheduled for shut down in Australia. Between those two mines, there will be a 765,000 metric ton loss of zinc production in the next three years.