$4.2bn
$XXX.Xm
2,821
40
$XXX.Xm
The Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry has faced volatile conditions over recent years due to volatile pricing and refineries generating a high proportion of industry revenue by providing refining and smelting services to mining companies as a third-party service. As mining companies can export ore concentrate overseas to be refined, industry firms that service mining companies need to be price and service competitive. Industry volumes and revenue are greatly influenced by changes in demand for smelting and refining services and the production output of mining companies that also operate in the industry. Overall, industry revenue is expected to climb at an annualised 1.1% over the five years through 2023-24, to an estimated $4.2 billion, mainly due to higher copper prices despite lower refined copper output. Industry revenue is anticipated to fall by 6.2% in 2023-24 as downstream demand weakens and copper production declines greatly.Industry exports are estimated to total $7.8 billion in 2023-24, substantially above industry revenue. Industry refineries often process metal for a fee without taking ownership of it. Exports of this processed metal are counted in industry exports. Industry exports tend to exceed industry revenue.The industry competes with imported refined metals and has progressively lost its share over the past decade. Sophisticated refineries opened in the Asia-Pacific region have outperformed Australian refiners because of greater scale and a more favourable regulatory environment. Revenue is forecast to decrease at an annualised 0.8% over the five years through 2028-29, to an estimated $4.0 billion. Refined copper production volumes are on track to push down, thanks to the anticipated closure of Glencore's copper smelter and refinery in Queensland in 2026. Output and demand for other industry goods, particularly zinc and lead, are set to remain stable, with prices declining. Industry exports are poised to sink owing to lower industry production.
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.1 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.2bn in 2023.
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 |
---|---|---|
Sun Metals | 1,200.0 | |
Glencore | 919.2 | |
Nyrstar Australia | 785.2 |
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Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Copper cathode, Refined silver and Refined lead. Copper cathode is the largest segment of the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining in Australia.
Demand for copper cathode has risen, supported by increased copper demand for electric vehicles
Industry firms smelt and refine copper, silver, lead and zinc. Firms in the industry can smelt their own ore concentrate or contract it from a third party for a fee. Industry firms may also recover these metals from waste or scrap and produce sulphuric acid as a smelting by-product.
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ANZSIC 2133 - Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining in Australia
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Industry revenue and profit margins have swollen. The COVID-19 pandemic had a minimal effect on the industry, with exporters benefitting from a relatively weaker Australian d...
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Zinc sales have declined thanks to low pricing growth compared with copper and despite growth in refined zinc volumes. Limited demand growth from China in 2019-20 and 2020-21...
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Positioning near major markets leads to lower transportation costs. This also enables refineries to build strong ties with major buyers, boosting performance.
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Refined copper, silver, lead and zinc are largely generic products sold based on price, adjusted for any variations in metal content. Other considerations, like reliability o...
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Most smaller entities operate on a contract basis to process ore concentrate for copper, silver, lead and zinc mining companies. These other companies can process ore concent...
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Companies are subject to environmental laws dealing with noise, air emissions and the use, handling and disposal of hazardous materials and waste. Environmental and health is...
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Due to the high costs of refining and smelting raw materials and extensive requirements for chemicals and other industry inputs, industry profit has traditionally been low. P...
Including values and annual change:
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Key data sources in Australia include:
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
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The market size of the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry in Australia is $4.2bn in 2024.
There are 40 businesses in the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2018 and 2023.
The market size of the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 1.1 % between 2018 and 2023.
Over the next five years, the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry in Australia is expected to decline.
The biggest companies operating in the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining market in Australia are Sun Metals, Glencore and Nyrstar Australia
Copper cathode and Refined silver are part of the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry.
The company holding the most market share in Australia is Sun Metals.
The level of competition is low and steady in the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry in Australia.