Korea Zinc US Assets Deal Secures America’s Only Primary Zinc Smelter

Korea Zinc

Korea Zinc US assets expansion has advanced after Nyrstar sold its East Tennessee and Mid Tennessee mining complexes and the Clarksville smelter to the South Korean metals producer. The transaction gives Korea Zinc direct control of key zinc mining and smelting infrastructure in the US.

The sale was first announced in December and was completed after regulatory and governmental approvals. Financial details were not disclosed.

Korea Zinc US assets now include the Clarksville smelter, which Nyrstar described as the only primary zinc smelter in the US. That makes the transaction strategically important for domestic zinc supply, industrial resilience and future non-ferrous processing capacity.

Clarksville Smelter Strengthens Domestic Zinc Supply

The Clarksville smelter gives Korea Zinc an established operating base in the US zinc market. Zinc remains essential for galvanizing steel, construction, infrastructure, automotive production, energy systems and manufacturing.

Trafigura will continue to sell Clarksville’s zinc metal and supply concentrate and oxide to the operation through the end of 2026. This transition arrangement should help maintain operational continuity while Korea Zinc prepares its broader investment strategy.

The Tennessee mining complexes also add upstream relevance. Control of mining assets and smelting infrastructure gives Korea Zinc a stronger position across feedstock access, processing and finished metal supply.

Korea Zinc Plans Larger Non-Ferrous Smelting Platform

Korea Zinc has already outlined a much larger US ambition. The company announced plans in December to build a $7.4bn smelter on the acquired, fully permitted sites through a joint venture with the US defense and commerce departments.

The planned facility would produce 13 non-ferrous products. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, followed by phased production from 2029, starting with zinc, lead and copper.

The new smelter is expected to process 1.1mn t/yr of raw materials and produce 540,000 t/yr of finished products. If delivered, the project would significantly expand US non-ferrous processing capacity and support domestic supply chains for strategic industrial metals.

The Metalnomist Commentary

Korea Zinc’s acquisition is more than a zinc transaction. It positions a major Asian smelter inside the US industrial base at a time when domestic processing capacity has become a strategic priority.