According to TechNews (finance.technews.tw), Mitsui Kinzoku announced on July 10, 2026 that it would raise its zinc price by 18,000 yen (a 2.8% increase) from the previous price published on July 6, bringing it to 658,000 yen per tonne, effective immediately. The company attributed the move to rising international prices and a depreciating yen.
According to the same TechNews report, the adjusted price surpassed the previous record of 652,000 yen set on April 20, 2022, setting a new all-time high. MoneyDJ's news headline also framed the story as "weak yen sends Japan zinc price past 650,000, setting a record high."
According to TechNews (finance.technews.tw), as of 7:50 a.m. Taipei time on July 13, the yen had weakened 0.13% against the U.S. dollar to 161.92 yen per dollar. The same report noted that the yen had strengthened 0.41% against the dollar the prior Friday (July 10), marking its second consecutive session of gains.
Mitsui Kinzoku's July 10 zinc price announcement, as reported by TechNews, explicitly cited the weak yen as one of two drivers behind the increase, alongside rising international prices.
According to TechNews (finance.technews.tw), following this adjustment the provisional monthly average zinc price for July 2026 stood at 653,500 yen, up 3.1% (a rise of 19,900 yen) from the June 2026 average of 633,600 yen.
This provisional July average of 653,500 yen sits above the previous record high of 652,000 yen from April 20, 2022 cited in the same report, indicating that not only the single adjusted price but also the monthly average had cleared the prior peak.
| Zinc price metric | Value | Change | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitsui Kinzoku new price | 658,000 yen/tonne | +18,000 yen (+2.8%) | Jul 10, 2026 |
| Previous record high | 652,000 yen/tonne | — | Apr 20, 2022 |
| July 2026 provisional average | 653,500 yen | +19,900 yen (+3.1%) | Jul 2026 |
| June 2026 average | 633,600 yen | — | Jun 2026 |
While zinc set a record, other Japanese base metals moved in the opposite direction. According to TechNews (finance.technews.tw), JX Advanced Metals (JX金屬) announced on July 9 that it would cut its copper price by 20,000 yen (a 0.9% decrease) from the previous price published on July 7, to 2.24 million yen per tonne, effective immediately.
According to the same TechNews report, Mitsubishi Materials (三菱綜合材料) on July 8 cut its lead price by 6,000 yen (a 1.6% decrease) to 366,000 yen per tonne.
| Metal | Producer | New price | Change | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc | Mitsui Kinzoku | 658,000 yen/tonne | +2.8% | Jul 10 |
| Copper | JX Advanced Metals | 2,240,000 yen/tonne | -0.9% | Jul 9 |
| Lead | Mitsubishi Materials | 366,000 yen/tonne | -1.6% | Jul 8 |
According to MoneyDJ (moneydj.com), the base metals market in the first half of the year saw a tug-of-war between bulls and bears, with tin posting the largest gain among base metals. The same source also carried a report noting that LME base metals mostly fell on expectations of a supply recovery.
MoneyDJ (moneydj.com) additionally reported that steel-related firm Steel Union (鋼聯) reported a first-half consolidated pre-tax profit of 610 million yuan (NT dollars) as self-assessed, dated July 6, 2026.
The evidence shows a clear divergence within Japanese base metals during the same week of July 2026: Mitsui Kinzoku raised zinc by 2.8% to a record 658,000 yen on July 10, while on July 8 and July 9 Mitsubishi Materials and JX Advanced Metals cut lead and copper by 1.6% and 0.9% respectively. The July 2026 provisional zinc average of 653,500 yen exceeded the April 2022 record of 652,000 yen, confirming a fresh high rather than a single-day spike. Mitsui Kinzoku cited both rising international prices and a weakening yen (last quoted at 161.92 per dollar on July 13) as drivers, while MoneyDJ separately reported that LME base metals mostly fell and that tin led first-half gains. The evidence links yen depreciation to zinc's record, but does not attribute the copper and lead cuts to the same factor.
According to TechNews, Mitsui Kinzoku raised its zinc price to 658,000 yen per tonne on July 10, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 652,000 yen set on April 20, 2022.
According to TechNews, the July 2026 provisional average zinc price was 653,500 yen, up 3.1% (19,900 yen) from the June 2026 average of 633,600 yen.
No. According to TechNews, JX Advanced Metals cut copper by 0.9% to 2.24 million yen on July 9, and Mitsubishi Materials cut lead by 1.6% to 366,000 yen on July 8.
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