Primary lead smelters operating rates rose this week

SHANGHAI, Aug 7 (SMM) – Operating rates across lead-acid battery makers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hebei provinces averaged 72.1% in the week ended Aug 7, up 2.47 percentage point from the previous week, showed an SMM survey.

End- user consumption in the lead smelters market improved in August, especially the price of lead rose continuously. Electric bicycles and car batteries companies have successively increased battery prices. Dealers and retailers bought the goods to stockpile, and corporate orders improved. The electric bicycle battery segment performed well, and the operating rate of enterprises increased.

At the same time, due to the frequent occurrence of high-temperature weather during the summer, non-battery companies took high-temperature holidays in Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui and other places, including some automobile original equipment manufacturers. Whether the high temperature will affect the production of lead battery enterprises should be monitored.