The average operating rate of primary lead smelters in three provinces this week (October 10–16, 2025) was 66.64%, down 1.82 percentage points WoW.
This week, smelter production remained stable in Henan and Yunnan, while Hunan saw the most significant production cuts due to maintenance. One smelter planned a 7- to 10-day maintenance period within October and is expected to resume normal production next week; another has not announced a specific restart date after completing its maintenance shutdown. In north China, although smelters have resumed operations after maintenance, their output has not met expectations. One smelter in the region is expected to produce over 3,000 mt less in October than under normal operating conditions, while another is projected to see a decline of more than 1,000 mt. A smelter in east China plans to carry out a maintenance shutdown in Q4, with maintenance work on the primary lead production line expected to begin in November.
