The average operating rate of primary lead smelters in three provinces this week (September 12, 2025–September 18, 2025) was 65.98%, down 0.69 percentage points WoW.
This week, a smelter in Henan slightly cut production, and production is expected to resume by month-end. Another smelter saw marginal declines in crude lead production due to maintenance. Smelters in Yunnan and Hunan maintained stable production. Apart from the three provinces mentioned above, a smelter in north China resumed operations after maintenance this week, while a smelter in east China is expected to undergo maintenance shutdown in Q4 and slightly raised production in September to ensure partial long-term contract supply.
