Operating rates at lead-acid battery producers pick up on week

SHANGHAI, Feb 22 (SMM) – Operating rates at lead-acid battery producers across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hebei provinces increased by 17.22 percentage points week on week and averaged 55.78% in the week through February 22, showed SMM data. Producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi accounted for most of the increase. 

Battery plants across the five provinces mostly returned from holiday after February 19, and recovered on-demand purchases of lead ingot. This compared with basically no purchases in the first half of the previous week. 

However, most battery mills have yet to resume full operation as of Friday February 22, given labour shortage, a traditional slack season in March-April, and moderate post-holiday restocking at distributors. Those mills also expressed limited inclination to operate at full capacity in the weeks ahead.