Weekly primary lead smelter operating rate rose 1.9 percentage points

DataM Intelligence reports that the global lead ingot and lead pig market reached US$16.85 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach US$25.30 billion by 2035, with a CAGR of 4.1% over 2026–2035. The report says battery manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on recycled metal and closed-loop supply chains; secondary refined lead was the largest source segment in 2025, Asia-Pacific held the largest regional share at 51.4%, and North America was the fastest-growing region with a reported 22.1% share. Recent developments include Korea Zinc launching its approximately US$7.4 billion Project Crucible in Tennessee in April 2026, targeting phased operations from 2029 and production of 13 non-ferrous metals including lead; completing its acquisition of Nyrstar's US mining and smelting assets in April; and the project receiving FAST-41 permitting coverage, which does not constitute final approval or authorization to operate. Gravita India completed an 80,300-tonne-per-year expansion at its Mundra lead recycling facility, raising total capacity to 145,100 tonnes per year. The US EPA reopened the comment period in November 2025 on proposed amendments to secondary lead smelter emissions standards.