SMM secondary lead smelter weekly operating rate (2026.8.14-2026.8.20) [SMM Lead Weekly Review]

Published: Aug 21, 2026 10:00

Save

SMM August 21 news:

During August 14-20, 2026, the SMM weekly operating rate for secondary lead in four provinces was 40.4%, up 3.32 percentage points WoW. Smelters in Jiangsu and Anhui maintained stable production; in Henan, enterprises slightly ramped up production after raw material replenishment, with the operating rate rising 0.69 percentage points; in Inner Mongolia, large-scale smelters continued production ramp-ups from resumptions, driving a significant 29.55-percentage-point increase in the local operating rate. Looking ahead to next week, the market holds phased positive expectations for lead prices, which is expected to boost smelters' production willingness. However, smelters in all four regions remain constrained by raw material supply, with raw material shortages limiting further production releases. Overall, the operating rate for secondary lead in four provinces is expected to remain basically flat.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

1 hour ago

[SMM Flash] 73,500 mt Sulfur from Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group Arrived Smoothly at Port

In the early morning of August 20, 73,500 mt of sulfur directly purchased from the Middle East by Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group successfully arrived at Zhanjiang Port, Guangdong. This is the first vessel of mainstream Middle East cargo directly imported and purchased by Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group since the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, and also the largest single purchase contract for Middle East sulfur in terms of volume and value since the establishment of the group in 2019.

1 hour ago

2 hours ago

SHFE lead surged past 16,000 yuan/mt in night session, SHFE and LME jointly consolidate on a strong note at high levels [SMM Lead Morning Briefing]

2 hours ago

Lead price center rises & spot lead long-term contract dominates. Spot lead supply and demand is weak, supplier sentiment diverges clearly [SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary]

2 hours ago