This week (April 3, 2026 - April 9, 2026), the average operating rate of primary lead smelters across the three provinces was 61.48%, down 0.57 percentage points WoW. This week, a small-scale smelter in Henan that had previously shut down for maintenance resumed production, and the operating rate in Henan edged up. In Hunan, after smelters maintained stable operations, some plants marginally increased output. In Yunnan, smelter maintenance and resumption coexisted, and the operating rate in Yunnan registered negative growth this week. Smelters in other regions maintained stable production for the time being. A smelter in east China mentioned expectations of possible maintenance in May, but the specific plan has not yet been confirmed. SMM will continue to monitor the situation.
