Operating rates across primary lead smelters rose

According to SMM survey, the average operating rate across primary lead smelters was 57.16% during the week (May 4-10), rising 0.33 percentage point from a week earlier and up 1.22 percentage points from the week before the Labour Day holiday. In May, smelters in Henan Province resumed production after maintenance at crude lead production lines, and the operating rates of refined lead increased after the Labour Day holiday. The refined lead smelters in Hunan Province that were overhauled in April have not yet returned to full production after resuming operations in May. In addition, part of the crude lead production capacity in Hunan Province has been affected by environmental protection inspections, resulting in a decline in the supply of raw materials at refined lead smelters. Some small plants have stopped production for maintenance, and the refined lead operating rate declined slightly. A smelter in Yunnan Province underwent maintenance and cut production, and local average operating rate declined slightly. In May, the supply of raw materials such as lead concentrate has become increasingly tight. Except for the large-scale smelters in Henan Province, the raw material inventory days of many small and medium-sized smelters have declined. It is expected that the total output of refined lead in May will continue to decline.