SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – Operating rates across Chinese lead-acid battery plants continued to increase this week as workers returned after the end of the self-quarantine period.

An SMM survey showed that operating rate across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces averaged 48.09% in the week ended March 6, up 4.17 percentage points from last week.

Operating rates at most of major battery producers have recovered towards 70%, with producers in east China’s Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi speeding up their recovery.

The recovery of small and medium-scale producers in the central province of Henan and the northern province of Hebei was slower, and some producers remained shut until March.

Producers in the COVID-19 epicentre of Hubei province remained shut, and local authorities require local businesses not to resume work earlier than March 10.