Futures: The London Metal Exchange was closed on May 25 for a UK bank holiday and resumed trading on May 26. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE lead 2607 contract opened at 16,755 yuan/mt, briefly touched a high of 16,775 yuan/mt before pulling back, then moved sideways around the 16,700 yuan/mt level, and finally closed at 16,710 yuan/mt, down 0.27%. On the macro front: Guinea, the world's largest bauxite-producing country, will announce export control measures in June. China responded to the fact that no heavy rare earth had been exported to Japan for four months: China prohibits the export of dual-use items to Japanese military users and for military purposes in accordance with laws and regulations, aiming to stop Japan's "remilitarization" and nuclear ambitions. China responded to the prospect of a US-Iran deal: since the door to dialogue has been opened, it should not be closed again; the momentum of easing should be maintained, the general direction of political settlement should be upheld, and a solution that addresses the concerns of all parties should be reached through dialogue and consultation. : In the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai market, a small volume of warrant-based cargoes were quoted. Suppliers mainly shipped cargoes self-picked up from primary lead smelter production sites. Due to supply differences between northern and southern markets, quotations in the northern market were firmer. On the secondary lead front, smelter losses were repaired and shipment enthusiasm increased, with secondary refined lead quoted at premiums of -50~0 yuan/mt ex-works against SMM #1 lead. As lead prices strengthened, downstream enterprises showed weakened purchasing enthusiasm. Some continued to purchase warrant-based cargoes from nearby warehouses, while those with rigid demand leaned toward lower-priced secondary lead cargoes. In terms of inventory: on May 25, LME lead was closed; LME lead inventory stood at 286,475 mt as of May 22. SMM lead ingot social inventory across five regions totaled 70,100 mt, down 3,200 mt from May 18 and down 3,200 mt from May 21. Lead price forecast for today: Recently, apart from individual social warehouses where lead ingot inventory declined due to downstream enterprises picking up goods, other social warehouses saw slight increases due to inventory transfers by suppliers and arrivals of imported lead. After concentrated dip-buying by downstream enterprises during the lead price pullback last week, lead prices rebounded in recent days, and downstream enterprises' purchasing enthusiasm weakened notably. In addition, as secondary lead smelter losses were repaired, smelters actively shipped at discounts. Secondary refined lead was quoted at premiums of -50~0 yuan/mt ex-works against SMM #1 lead price, while in contrast, primary lead was quoted at premiums of +0~+75 yuan/mt ex-works against SMM #1 lead price. Some downstream enterprises with rigid demand leaned toward secondary lead. Going forward, the destocking of lead ingot social inventory is expected to continue to slow down, and resistance above lead prices remains evident. Data source disclaimer: Data other than public information is derived from public information, market communication, and SMM's internal database models, processed by SMM for reference only and does not constitute decision-making advice.
May 26, 2026 08:00[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary: Coexistence of Energy Supply Pressure and Lead Ingot Inventory Buildup May Lead to Continued Price Consolidation] The escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, obstruction of major shipping routes, and expectations for rising transportation costs are anticipated to increase pressure on Europe's energy supply. After the domestic holiday, the lead market has experienced severe inventory buildup...
Mar 2, 2026 09:00[SMM Shanghai and Other 1# Lead Markets: Lead Prices Fall, Downstream Buyers Adopt Wait-and-See Approach, Spot Transactions Weaken] SMM News on June 18: In the Shanghai market, Chihong and Honglu lead were quoted at 16,780-16,860 yuan/mt, with quotations at discounts of 50-0 yuan/mt against the SHFE lead 2507 contract. SHFE lead prices fluctuated and pulled back, with suppliers maintaining discounted quotations. Among them, cargoes self-picked up from primary lead smelters were quoted at discounts of 30 yuan/mt to premiums of 50 yuan/mt against the SMM 1# lead average price...
Jun 18, 2025 12:39[SMM Shanghai and Other #1 Lead Markets: Secondary Lead and Primary Lead Prices Inverted, Some Downstream Players Purchase on Dips as Needed] SMM May 30 Report: In the Shanghai market, Chihong and Honglu lead were priced at 16,535-16,565 yuan/mt, quoted at a discount of 20-0 yuan/mt against the SHFE lead 2506/2507 contracts. In the early trading session, SHFE lead prices plummeted, prompting suppliers to quote cautiously, with some narrowing their discounts...
May 30, 2025 12:21[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary: Weak Consumption Before the Holiday Drags Down Lead Prices, Follow-Up Focus on Production Trends in the Ingot Sector] Trump Met with Powell, Their First Meeting Since November 2019, with Trump Demanding an Interest Rate Cut and Powell Insisting on Policy Independence. As the Traditional Dragon Boat Festival Holiday Approached, Suppliers Were Generally Active in Selling Their Cargoes, and the Spot Market Generally Conducted Transactions at a Discount. The Spread Between Futures and Spot Prices Widened to Around 200 Yuan/mt, Prompting Some Traders to Transfer Their Cargoes to Delivery Warehouses...
May 30, 2025 09:00[SMM Shanghai and Other #1 Lead Markets: Lead Price Center Moves Lower, Some Suppliers Expand Discount for Sales] SMM May 28 Report: In the Shanghai market, Chihong and Honglu lead are priced at 16,700-16,760 yuan/mt, quoted at a discount of 20-0 yuan/mt against the SHFE lead 2506 contract. In the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, JCC lead is priced at 16,700-16,760 yuan/mt, quoted at a discount of 30-0 yuan/mt against the 2506/2507 contracts. SHFE lead continues to be in the doldrums, with suppliers selling at market prices...
May 28, 2025 12:35Dear users, On August 29, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China jointly issued the "Secondary Lead Ingot (GB/T 21181-2025)" (hereinafter referred to as the "new national standard"), which will officially take effect on March 1, 2026. Compared to the "Secondary Lead and Lead Alloy Ingot (GB/T 21181-2017)" (hereinafter referred to as the "old national standard"), the new national standard revised the scope. It changed from "This standard applies to secondary lead and its alloy ingots produced by smelting and processing using lead-containing scrap as raw material, mainly used in batteries, alloys, chemical industry, and other fields" to "This document applies to secondary lead ingots produced by pyrometallurgical smelting and processing using waste lead-acid batteries and recycled lead and lead alloy materials as raw materials, mainly used in lead-acid batteries, alloys, chemical industry, and other fields." Regarding secondary lead grades, the ZSPb99.994 and ZSPb99.992 secondary lead ingot grades were deleted the ZSPb99.990, ZSPb99.986, and ZSPb99.983 secondary lead ingot grades were added. Details are as follows: With the development and changes in the secondary lead industry, the actual production and use of secondary lead in the market in recent years have already diverged significantly from the old national standard. In addition to changes in the main element lead content, the bismuth (Bi) content has also undergone substantial changes. According to SMM's understanding of major producers and users of secondary lead, the distribution by bismuth content usage is as follows: enterprises using bismuth content ≤0.008% account for about 15% those using ≤0.012% account for about 60% and those using ≤0.015% account for about 25%. Furthermore, based on its price assessment methodology, SMM solicited market suggestions on the specifications for the secondary refined lead price. Market feedback recommended that the price collection standard for SMM's secondary refined lead price reference the new national standard for secondary lead, with grade ZSPb99.99 accounting for 24%, grade ZSPb99.986 for 66%, and grade ZSPb99.983 for 10%. Considering that the current actual usage in the secondary lead market covers the three grades specified in the new national standard for secondary lead, SMM will define the specifications for the national and regional prices of secondary refined lead as ZSPb99.983-99.99%, based on real market transaction conditions. The new standard will be officially implemented from January 1, 2026, serving as the reference standard for SMM's price assessments. During this period, SMM will continue to collect suggestions and feedback from all parties, closely follow changes in the lead industry chain market, and identify and optimize SMM prices to better serve the industry! For any questions regarding prices, please contact lead analyst Wenming Xia at 021-51666839. SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. Lead and Zinc Research Division December 25, 2025
PriceDec 25, 2025 09:41