SMM, October 12:
Today, domestic waste lead-acid battery quotes in China were mostly flat, with a few smelters lowering their scrap battery purchase prices, leading to divergent changes. According to an SMM survey, last weekend, a smelter in central China offered short-term price protection for vehicles registered on the day of the price cut and required delivery within a deadline, prompting recyclers to concentrate deliveries, resulting in relatively good arrivals of scrap battery raw materials in the short term. At the beginning of the lead price pullback, some stores and suppliers still expected prices to rebound and waited for smelters to raise prices, holding back from selling and adopting a wait-and-see stance; once most smelters held their ground or even lowered purchase prices and expectations for price hikes fell through, they shifted to accelerating shipments. Currently, more than 60% of recyclers still primarily adopt a fast-in, fast-out purchasing and sales model. Although lead prices rebounded slightly today, scrap battery quotes remained basically stable. In the short term, scrap battery prices are expected to stabilize along with lead prices, with most remaining stable, and both upward and downward adjustments are expected to be slow amid divergent changes. Attention may be paid to the sustainability of the lead price rebound, price adjustment actions by smelters after their scrap battery raw material inventories are digested, and whether scrap battery retirement volumes can seasonally rebound after the weather turns cooler.
