SHANGHAI, Aug 16 (SMM) – Lead-acid battery producers in China further stepped up production this week, as the easing heat wave allowed plants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to swing into higher gear to brace for a potential demand increase in back-to-school season.

An SMM survey showed that the average operating rate across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hebei provinces rose for a fourth straight week, gaining 1.23 percentage points from the prior week to stand at 53.06% in the week to August 16.

Demand for electric bike batteries remained upbeat, compared to tepid demand for batteries used in automobiles.

Most producers of automotive batteries planned production on sales, but a tiny few ramped up operations as inventory pressure eased after higher lead prices encouraged purchases by distributors.