SMM Primary Lead Smelter Weekly Operating Rate (July 3-9, 2026) [SMM Primary Lead Smelting Weekly Review]

This week (July 3 – July 9, 2026), the combined operating rate of primary lead smelters in three provinces was 65.15%, down 2.38 percentage points WoW.

By region: In Hunan, medium-to-large smelters planned routine maintenance, and primary lead production gradually decreased recently, weighing on the region’s operating rate and causing it to decline. In Henan, a major enterprise experienced a sudden incident at the beginning of the week, but fortunately it did not cause a significant impact; other small and medium-sized enterprises slightly cut production due to the sluggish lead market, continuing to drag down the region’s operating rate. In Yunnan, some smelters entered maintenance, and primary lead production also decreased. Next week, maintenance at smelters in North China is about to end; combined with other smelters expected to slightly increase production, the weekly primary lead operating rate may rebound slightly next week.