SHANGHAI, Dec 5 (SMM) – Jiyuan, a sub-prefecture-level city in north-central China’s Henan province, has issued an orange smog alert, the second-highest on China’s four-level system, which is estimated to affect 300 mt of daily secondary lead production.

The alert was activated this morning and will be lifted on December 10.

Aside from secondary lead smelters, some primary lead smelters in the city have also been required to cut capacity of the smelting stage by 20-30% under the orange alert.

Existing stocks of lead bullion, however, will cushion the impact from the production curbs and allow the refining stage to maintain stable operations.

With a fresh round of smog hitting China, an orange alert was activated in Henan’s Jiaozuo on Wednesday December 4 and will remain in place until further notice.

Xuzhou of east China’s Jiangsu province and Linfen of north China’s Shanxi province issued yellow alerts, the third-highest on the system, at 15:00 CST December 3 and 15:00 December 4, respectively.