Environmental Protection Inspections Drive up Secondary Lead Prices in Hebei

 China’s lead industry has undergone frequent environmental protection inspections during the past couple years. Hebei, as a major secondary lead production base near the capital, has been experiencing strict environmental protection crackdowns since June, largely affecting small secondary lead makers in the province. The net result is that local secondary lead prices became more resilient than other provinces. 

 

Furthermore, since replacement of electric vehicle batteries accelerated this month, most secondary lead smelters in Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces using scrap electric vehicle batteries for production found sourcing of raw materials much easier, so secondary lead prices in these regions were relatively low. In Hebei, however, secondary lead smelters mainly use scrap automobile battery for production, and the slower replacement of automobile batteries in summer months also left Hebei's secondary lead prices holding firm.