Gold and silver are selling at unusually large premiums over the global benchmark price in some Asian markets.

The figure is lower than the $148 per tonne paid in the July-September quarter and marks a fourth consecutive quarterly drop.

The group’s rapid expansion including acquisitions of metal companies has left it with an $11.7 billion debt load as of March.

Japan's biggest copper supplier plans to produce 303,300 tonnes of refined copper in the second half of the 2022/23 financial year.

Despite efforts from the United States and Europe to increase the domestic production of batteries, the market is still dominated by Asian suppliers.

Several companies are building refineries in Australia that would turn locally-mined lithium ore into battery-grade chemicals.

Refiners imported a large amount of gold containing platinum but registered the purchases with customs as a platinum alloy to avoid paying higher duties.

Japan's biggest zinc smelter plans to produce 110,800 tonnes of refined zinc in the second half of the 2022/23 financial year.