Operating rates at lead-acid battery makers unchanged on week

SHANGHAI, Aug 23 (SMM) – Lead-acid battery producers in China kept their production barely changed this week, as orders held stable with distributors purchasing on demand in a high season for electric bike batteries.

An SMM survey showed that the average operating rate across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hebei provinces remained unchanged from the previous week, at 53.06% in the week ended August 23. The rate had risen for four weeks in a row.

Replacement demand for batteries used in automobiles failed to pick up, but stocks of such batteries at some northern producers sharply climbed on the expectations that authorities will require production cuts or suspension for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the country’s founding in October.

Rising lead prices, meanwhile, kept battery producers cautious about procurement, and most large plants relied on long-term supply contracts.