SMM February 28 News: According to reports, the weekly comprehensive operating rate of lead-acid battery enterprises in five provinces monitored by SMM from February 22 to February 28, 2025, was 72.35%, an increase of 0.93 percentage points WoW.
At the end of February, the impact of the Chinese New Year on the lead-acid battery market has been completely eliminated. With workers largely in place, production at major enterprises has returned to normal. From the perspective of actual end-user consumption in various battery markets, current demand in the lead-acid battery markets for e-bikes and three-wheelers is weaker than the same period last year. Additionally, with the traditional off-season approaching, the selling price of batteries shows signs of decline, and dealers are cautious in their purchases, with many enterprises producing based on sales. In the automotive battery market, domestic replacement demand is average, while orders for vehicle assembly have relatively improved. However, export orders remain constrained by the cost differences in lead materials between domestic and international markets. As a result, producers show mixed trends in operating rates. Some lead-acid battery enterprises are operating at full capacity, while others are operating at half capacity or have suspended production in workshops at month-end to control finished product inventories.
