Operating rates of secondary lead smelters up 2.92 percentage points on week

SHANGHAI, Jul 16 (SMM) - Operating rates across licensed smelters of secondary lead in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Guizhou averaged 60.41% in the week ended July 16, up 2.92 percentage points from the previous week, showed an SMM survey.

In Anhui, Tianchang gradually resumed normal production after maintenance, and Dadao further recovered production this week. The production in other regions basically remained stable. Besides the sample companies, Hubei Jinyang resumed production as planned this week, contributing to the overall output increase. Some plants in Guangdong and Jiangxi reduced production due to low profits and environmental protection, which had little impact on the overall production resumption. Anhui Tianchang will have normal production next week, likely to bring output increase. Operating rates are expected to further rise.