Operating Rates Of Licensed Secondary Lead Smelters Across Four Regions in China

The operating rates of licensed secondary lead smelters across Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Inner Mongolia averaged 42.38% last week (September 16-22), down 1.88 percentage points from the prior week. With the Asian Games coming, environmental protection control has been strict. Last week, some smelters in Anhui received notices to reduce production. That, coupled with the continued tight supply of raw materials, lowered the local operating rate by 5.53 percentage points.

The technical reform of sample enterprises in Jiangsu has not yet been completely completed, and output is expected to be further restored by the end of the month. The supply of battery scrap in Henan was tight, and output at smelters was low. Smelters in Inner Mongolia raised their purchase prices for battery scrap, and raw material inventories were somewhat adequate last week, growing output at a few smelters. A large secondary lead smelting plant in Hebei resumed production and yielded lead ingots. A large smelting plant in Jiangxi has recently resumed production.