SHANGHAI, Feb 7 (SMM) – Lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces remained closed for holidays during February 3-7, a SMM survey showed. This compared with an operating rate of 16.3% across those producers a week prior to the Chinese New Year holiday. 

Most lead-acid battery mills have been required to delay their post-holiday recovery, from the originally scheduled February 1 to February 10, a move aimed to control the coronavirus outbreak. Some battery makers even postponed their resumption till after February 17. 

SMM expects the capacity utilisation rate across lead-acid battery mills no higher than 30% next week, as the provincial and city-level transportation curbs may affect the return of workers, on top of a quarantine period of 14 days for newly-returned workers.