Operating rates at lead-acid battery makers rebounded as some recovered from holidays

SHANGHAI, May 15 (SMM) – Operating rate across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces averaged 63.67% in the week ended May 15, up 3.52 percentage points from the previous week, showed an SMM survey.

The rate rebounded as some producers resumed their operations from the Labour Day holidays and as some stepped up operations slightly on healthy demand for communication batteries and after export orders recovered somewhat following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

The SMM survey also showed that inventories of raw materials and finished goods at some Chinese lead-acid battery producers are high as sales promotion fail to boost demand from distributers in a low season for batteries used in electric bikes and automobiles.