Secondary Crude Lead Supply Contraction: Sluggish Trading Continues in Off-Season [SMM Secondary Crude Lead Weekly Review]

SMM, July 10:

This week, the supply of secondary crude lead continued to tighten. Smelters in multiple regions voluntarily cut production, weighed down by raw material shortages and losses on production. Insufficient supply of scrap batteries led most suppliers to hold back from selling, leaving only a small volume of circulating cargo in the market. The battery downstream was in the traditional consumption off-season, with manufacturers only making just-in-time procurement. Price negotiations between buyers and sellers remained difficult, and spot cargo transactions were sluggish. Next week, the raw material shortage is unlikely to ease, and with extreme weather forcing production halts at some smelters, the supply of secondary crude lead will further decline, supporting prices that are more likely to rise than fall.