Operating rates at lead-acid battery makers dipped on week

SHANGHAI, August 14 (SMM) – Operating rates across lead-acid battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces averaged 71.37% in the week ended August 21, down 0.73 percentage points from the previous week, an SMM survey showed.

The high season in the end-user market of e-bike and automotive batteries depleted inventories at distributors, while some battery makers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang reduced output due to the hot weather. The high season for battery consumption is likely to sustain, and production at battery makers will recover after the high temperature eases.