Social inventories of lead ingots shrank 3,200 mt over weekend

SHANGHAI, Feb 1 (SMM) – Social inventories of lead ingots across Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Tianjin dropped 3,200 mt from last Friday January 29 to 40,200 mt as of Monday February 1, an SMM survey showed. The stocks were down 5,900 mt from last Monday January 25.

Long-distance logistics declined significantly due to the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday and Covid-induced lock-down. Secondary lead smelters and lead-acid battery makers will start to halt production for the holiday this week, and some short-distance transportation will continue. Some downstream buyers are expected to continue to restock this week, but the decline in lead social inventories is likely to slow down.