Refined Lead Spot Market: Supply-Side Disruptions Occur Frequently, Lead Prices Continue to Fluctuate at High Levels, 2024.12.16-2024.12.20 [SMM Survey]

In the spot market, during this week (December 16-20), SMM 1# lead prices ranged between 17,150-17,375 yuan/mt. In the spot market, primary lead smelter inventories declined, and price quotes varied significantly across regions. In Henan, smelters quoted a premium of 50-75 yuan/mt against SMM 1# lead, while some suppliers offered discounts of 180-200 yuan/mt against the SHFE lead 2501 contract. In Hunan, crude lead production was reduced or halted due to environmental protection-driven production restrictions. Mid-week, primary lead production at smelters was expected to decline, and suppliers stood firm on quotes and were reluctant to sell. Early in the week, smelters in the region quoted mainstream premiums of 70-100 yuan/mt against SMM 1# lead, but by the weekend, suppliers raised premium quotes to 240-260 yuan/mt, standing firm on quotes and reluctant to sell. Although the impact of smog and environmental protection-driven production restrictions eased, the circulation of secondary refined lead remained tight, and production recovery still required time. In the trading market, warehouse warrants circulated in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, with spot discounts against the SHFE lead 2501 contract narrowing to near parity. Mid-week, lead prices retreated, prompting downstream buyers to actively negotiate purchases at lower prices. However, due to refined lead supply constraints, the total volume of spot order transactions declined compared to the previous week. 》Click to view the SMM Metal Industry Chain Database