Zhuzhou Smelter Group, a Chinese zinc producer, terminated its supply agreement with Teck Resources’ Red Dog mine in Alaska earlier this year because high US-China tariffs made imports uneconomical. 

Even though the trade truce between Washington and Beijing lowered some tariffs, the company still made this decision because remaining double-digit duties still made importing zinc and lead concentrates from the US infeasible. As a result of breaking the contract, Zhuzhou Smelter had to pay a termination fee, though the amount was not disclosed.