South32 Looks to Bypass Chinese Zinc Smelters for Arizona Mine

South32 Ltd. is looking to sidestep Chinese zinc smelters for the $2.16 billion mine it’s developing in Arizona, shifting its focus to the few facilities in North America as the Trump administration seeks to boost domestic production of critical minerals.

The company will “prioritize” domestic and regional smelters for processing ore once its Hermosa mine begins producing later this decade, according to the project’s president, Pat Risner. Risner said the Australian firm has already struck a non-binding letter of intent with Teck Resources Ltd. to ship zinc to its Trail smelter in British Columbia, and will also look to send ...