China’s primary lead production falls as expected in May

SHANGHAI, Jun 6 (SMM) – Primary lead production across China shrank as expected in May, as the impact of maintenance exceeded production recovery.

According to an SMM survey released on Thursday June 6, output of primary lead came in at 247,700 mt in May, down 3.69% from April and 1.12% from May 2018.

This brought production in the first five months to 1.26 million mt, with a year-over-year increase of 5.4%. The January-April period registered a larger advance of 7.11%, as the Chinese New Year holiday, environmental restrictions and adverse weather hampered production in the same period last year.

Yunnan Chihong recovered from maintenance in May, while Hunan Jingui, Yinxing and Chifengshan Gold, Silver & Lead began maintenance in the second half of the month.

Output of primary lead is expected to extend its declines in June, falling some 30,000 mt month on month to 217,000 mt, in anticipation of maintenance and production cuts at smelters.

Maintenance across Hunan Jingui, Chifengshan Gold, Silver & Lead and Guangxi Hechi Nanfang will continue through June, while Hanzhong Zinc Industry, West Mining and Shandong Humon will begin maintenance. Most of those smelters are large or medium-sized.

Smelters faced weak lead prices and lower concentrate treatment charges. Some of them may curtail production this month.