SMM Secondary Lead Smelter Weekly Operating Rate, 2026.4.17-2026.4.23 [SMM Lead Weekly Review]

SMM April 24 News:

From April 17 to April 23, 2026, SMM data showed that the weekly operating rate of secondary lead across four provinces in China was 45.14%, up 3.2 percentage points WoW. By region: production in Anhui remained stable this week, with attention needed on the equipment maintenance progress of key enterprises going forward, as slower-than-expected repairs may weigh on operating rates; in Henan, raw material shortages intensified, enterprises continued to cut production, and the regional operating rate dropped by more than 5%; in Jiangsu and Inner Mongolia, some smelters saw raw material inventory recover, and ramped up production driven by long-term contract delivery demand. Looking ahead to next week, maintenance at a large smelter in Jiangsu combined with uncertainties over operating rates in Anhui are expected to cause the national secondary lead operating rate to pull back 4.06 percentage points WoW.