This week (June 5–June 11, 2026), the average operating rate across primary lead smelters in three provinces was 66.2%, down 0.38 percentage points WoW.
This week, production at smelters in Henan and Yunnan remained stable, with regional operating rates basically flat WoW. A medium-sized smelter in Hunan entered a maintenance shutdown, with no clear timeline for resuming production, pulling back the regional operating rate. In other regions, a large smelter in south China made minor production cuts due to raw material supply constraints. A large smelter in east China conducted short-term equipment maintenance this week and has since resumed production. Operating rates in both south China and east China declined this week and are expected to see a slight rebound next week.
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