Primary Lead Output Fell as Expected amid Intensive Maintenance

SHANGHAI, May 9 (SMM) - China produced 315,400 mt of primary lead in March, down 2.43% on the month but up 16.17% on the year. Total output in January-April surged 15.5% from the same period last year. Production capacities of enterprises involved in the SMM survey totalled 5.84 million mt in 2023.

According to research, the primary lead output in April fell as expected amid the intensive maintenance of lead smelters in Henan, Yunnan, Hunan, and Shandong. The long-lasting overhaul period and the maintenance of large enterprises led to a significant output cut. Therefore, even with the ramping-up of new capacity of smelters in Henan and the resumption of small and medium-sized smelters in Hunan and Yunnan, primary lead output still declined in April.