Secondary lead smelters operating rate dropped to 15.5% amid virus outbreak

SHANGHAI, Feb 7 (SMM) – Operating rates across licensed smelters of secondary lead in Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan provinces averaged 15.5% in the week ended February 7, down 18.7 percentage points from levels seen during January 18-22, showed a SMM survey.

The operating rate in Jiangsu dropped 22.7 percentage points to 33.3%, as Xinchunxing ran out of battery scrap. The smelter is maintaining low production on stocks of lead-containing scrap.

In Henan, Yuguang suspended its battery dismantling line, leading to a decline of 30.8 percentage points in the average operating rate for the region to 15.6%.

The operating rate in Anhui was down to zero as Huabo and Huaxin have been closed. When the two smelters will reopen remains uncertain amid the coronavirus epidemic outbreak.