CME Group Brings Regional Pricing to US Zinc Market with New Futures Contract

CME Group has introduced its US Zinc Futures contract, allowing market participants to manage their exposure to the all-in US zinc price. The first trades of this contract were executed on CME Globex by Glencore and Trafigura on August 20 for September delivery.

The contract is physically settled and listed by COMEX, providing a risk management tool for producers, consumers, and intermediaries. Jin Hennig, managing director and global head of metals at CME Group, commented that the US zinc market has unique dynamics driven by domestic policy and supply security, and this contract addresses that gap.

The introduction of regional products in industrial metals, steel, and battery metals is a significant development for the market. Both CME Group's US and European hot-rolled coil steel futures are trading at record levels year to date, while copper futures were up 12% year on year in the first half of 2026.