China Produced 422,300 Mt of Refined Lead in March

SHANGHAI, May 14 (SMM) – According to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA), China’s refined lead output during March was 422,300 mt, while YTD output through March was 1.08 million mt, up 16.11% YoY.

 

Since the CNIA did not release separate output figures for January and February, SMM only compared March output with figures from last December. That comparison shows refined lead output in March slightly higher than the 421,800 mt in December 2012. Lead output from Henan, Hunan, and Yunnan provinces was down 6.6%, 4.08%, and 10.3%, respectively, validating the results from a recent SMM survey. Falling lead prices, tighter raw material supplies, and a lack of opportunity for delivering of goods in the futures market during March caused some large smelters, including Anyang Minshan Nonferrous Metals, Luyang Yongning Gold & Lead, Shuikoushan Nonferrous Metals, Guiyang Yinxing Nonferrous Metals, to start maintenance cycles, dragging down average operating rates at primary lead smelters in Henan and Hunan provinces. However, SMM also found in its survey that the average operating rate at primary lead smelters in Yunnan province rose during March due to the resumption of production at Yunnan Tin Group, Zhenxing Lead Industry, and Tongfu Lead, resulting in a 5,000 mt growth in Yunnan’s output. 

 

Secondary lead output in China during March was 128,000 mt, up 43.8% from December 2012. Output in Anhui, Jiangsu, and Hubei provinces surged by 192%, 29.68%, and 24.23%, respectively. Nevertheless, SMM also learned that Huaxin Lead Industry and Tongguan Nonferrous Metals, both located in Anhui province, cut output, which would make the increase in output of 192% impossible. In Jiangsu province, New Chunxing Resource Recycling completed maintenance and increased its operating rate.