The average operating rate of primary lead smelters in three provinces this week (December 12-18, 2025) was 67.35%, up 1.82 percentage points WoW.
This week, operating rates in Henan and Hunan remained stable. Some smelters in Hunan mentioned that environmental protection checks affected crude lead production, but primary lead output this week could still maintain stable operations, though it may decline slightly next week. A medium-to-large scale smelter in Yunnan continued to ramp up production after maintenance ended this week, while another small-scale smelter resumed operations with a slight increase. Smelters in other regions maintained normal operations. The smelter in east China that had previously halted for maintenance has not yet resumed and is expected to restart by month-end.
