Primary lead smelters operating rates lost 0.9 percentage point on week

SHANGHAI, Oct 16 (SMM) —Operating rates across primary lead smelters in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces lost 0.9 percentage week on week to 58.5 in the week ended October 16, showed an SMM survey.

The average operating rates in Henan and Yunnan gained 1.4 and 6.3 percentage points to 76.9% and 42.1% respectively, while that in Hunan dropped 9.6 percentage points to 37.6%.

Output at Henan Minshan rose slightly as it increased procurement of battery scrap. Hunan Yuteng suspended production in October and is unlikely to resume in the short term, and Jingui plans to restart production in end October. Red lead output increased in Yunnan, and local crude lead supply was stable.

Xinjiang Hengchang plans to restore production after shutting down for six months, with monthly output at around 2,000 mt.