Weekly lead-acid battery maker operating rate stable on week

SHANGHAI, Dec 13 (SMM) – Operating rates across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces remained unchanged from a week ago, at 57.56% in the week ending December 13, showed SMM data.

Recovered Shanghai lead prices eased risk aversion in the lead-acid battery market. This saw distributors stockpiling as required and new downstream orders in Jiangsu and Zhejiang expanding. Purchases of raw materials lead also improved from a week earlier. 

Most lead-acid battery producers maintained stable operation, with some plants cautious about production given their existing inventories of finished products. 

Purchases of lead ingot in large quantities will unlikely be seen before December 20 as large and medium-sized lead-acid battery producers tended to cash in on the settlement of their long-term contracts at year-end.