MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (April 1)

[Secondary Lead Enterprise Updates] It was reported that the 200,000 mt lead-acid battery environmental protection utilization project of Dongying Xinsanyuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. was under orderly construction and progressing on schedule, and was expected to be completed and put into operation before the end of 2026. As a key project in Dongying City, Shandong Province, the project had a total investment of 480 million yuan, covering an area of 103 mu. Once completed, it will fill the regional gap in the harmless treatment and resource utilization of waste lead-acid batteries, injecting new momentum into regional green circular development.

[SMM Lead Market News] It was learned that since April, affected by environmental protection rectification and extended shipping cycles, lead smelters in Southeast Asia have experienced production cuts and shutdowns. Lead ingot supply has gradually tightened, spot premiums have risen, and high-grade lead ingots have even become difficult to source. Currently, the SMM Malaysia lead ingot 99.99-99.995% CIF premium was quoted at $150-170/mt, with a few suppliers once again making exploratory offers at a premium of $200/mt, though no transactions have been concluded at this price.

[Waste Lead-Acid Battery Market Dynamics] It was reported that one waste lead-acid battery collection and storage entity has been established in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, namely Zhangye Mingcheng Waste Battery Recycling Co., Ltd., which has obtained the Hazardous Waste Operating License issued by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Gansu Province. The approved operating method and category is the collection (HW31, 900-52) of waste lead-acid batteries, with an operating capacity of 2,000 mt/year. A total of 4 waste lead-acid battery collection sites have been set up across the city.