Primary lead smelters operating rates rose to 61.3% this week

SHANGHAI, May 21 (SMM) — Operating rates across primary lead smelters in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces increased 3.6 percentage points from the previous week to 61.3% in the week ended May 21, showed an SMM survey.

Henan Jinli and Jiyuan completed maintenance and returned to normal production this week; Hunan Chenzhou Xiongfeng suspended its crude lead production recently and is expected to restart in late June; Guiyang Yinxing slightly lowered its scheduled production; Inner Mongolia Chifengshan postponed its maintenance to late June and cut output due to equipment breakdown and feedstock shortages; Yunnan Chihong Zn & Ge resumed production as scheduled.