Korea Zinc to Build $7.4 Billion Tennessee Critical-Minerals Smelter Backed by U.S. Defense and Commerce

Officials cast the project as a supply‑chain security step responding to China’s dominance in processing key materials.

Overview

Korea Zinc said it signed a strategic alliance with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Commerce, which will jointly invest in the large-scale facility.
The planned complex in Tennessee is described as a 650,000‑square‑meter smelter for critical materials processing.
U.S. officials cited expected output of about 540,000 tonnes per year, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calling the agreement a major win.
Deputy Defense official Steve Feinberg said the project is expected to create roughly 750 U.S. jobs, with press reports placing the site near a major military base.
The venture is presented as the first U.S. zinc refinery since the 1970s and follows an October pact under which South Korea pledged $350 billion for strategic U.S. sectors.