Secondary lead smelters operating rates edged up to 49.6%

SHANGHAI, May 22 (SMM) – Operating rates across licensed smelters of secondary lead in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Guizhou edged up 0.2 percentage point in the week ended May 22 to 49.6%, as Anhui Dahua smelter held production elevated. 

Tight supply of battery scrap capped any increase in secondary lead smelters operations in Jiangsu and Henan. The respective rates in Jiangsu and Henan held unchanged on the week at 53.3% and 45.5%.

The average rate in Guizhou came in at 58.1%, down 7 percentage points on the week as local inspections affected production at some smelters.

The average rate in Anhui climbed 3.7 percentage points week on week to 45.2%. Anhui Dahua kept its daily production at around 400 mt.