SMM April 18 News:
The weekly operating rate of secondary lead in four provinces from April 12 to April 18, 2025 was 56.65%, a decrease of 4.54 percentage points WoW. During the off-season for lead-acid battery consumption, recyclers faced significant purchase pressure, and secondary lead smelters experienced poor raw material arrivals. Meanwhile, downstream demand for lead ingots was limited, and the selling price of refined lead was weak, putting smelters under heavy loss pressure. This week, some smelters implemented production cuts. As the tight supply of raw materials is expected to persist next week, the operating rate of refined lead is anticipated to decline further.
