Operating rates across primary lead smelters remain unchanged on week 

SHANGHAI, Apr 12 (SMM) – Chinese primary lead smelters maintained regular operation in the week ended Friday April 12, and this kept the average operating rate in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces unchanged on the week.

Operating rates across primary lead smelters in the three provinces averaged 59% in the week through April 12, flat from a week earlier. 

This week, primary smelters in Henan operated at an average rate of 77.7%, smelters in Yunnan at 27.7%, and Hunan smelters at 47.7%.

Normal operation across most primary smelters in April is likely to keep the output of primary lead flat from March. 

While Henan Xinling ends maintenance, smelters of Anhui Tongguan, Yunnan Chihong, and Inner Mongolia Chifengshan Gold Silver & Lead will begin maintenance this month. This is expected to lower the operating rates across primary lead smelters by 0.43 percentage point from March, to 65.05% in April. 

SMM expects the weekly operating rates in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan to change little next week.