Key facts
- The primary use of zinc is in galvanizing, which protects iron and steel from rusting
- In 2017, Canada produced 344,294 tonnes of zinc from mines located in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick
- China was the world’s largest producer of refined zinc metal in 2017, accounting for 45% of world production
Production
- In 2017, mined zinc production increased in Canada from the previous year. Refined zinc metal was produced at refineries in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec.
| Ranking | Province | Thousand tonnes | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manitoba | 137.0 | 39.8% |
| 2 | Quebec | 94.0 | 27.3% |
| 3 | Ontario | 72.0 | 21.0% |
| 4 | New Brunswick | 41.0 | 11.9% |
| Total | 344.0 | 100.0% |
World mine production of zinc, by country, 2017
| Ranking | Country | Thousand tonnes | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 5,192 | 39.2% |
| 2 | Peru | 1,473 | 11.1% |
| 3 | India | 850 | 6.4% |
| 4 | United States | 783 | 5.9% |
| 5 | Australia | 747 | 5.6% |
| 6 | Mexico | 677 | 5.1% |
| 7 | Bolivia | 497 | 3.8% |
| 8 | Kazakhstan | 375 | 2.8% |
| 9 | Canada | 344 | 2.6% |
| – | Other countries | 2,292 | 17.3% |
| Total | 13,230 | 100% |