Lead Price in China Eases 0.2% to USD 2,417/tonne
Lead in China closed the week lower at USD 2,417/tonne as smelters resumed production and holiday stockpiling drained inventories.
Lead prices in China stood at USD 2,417/tonne as of 2026-10-01, down 0.2% from USD 2,422/tonne on 2026-09-24. Over the month the price rose 0.8% from USD 2,399/tonne on 2026-09-01, and it is up 3.2% from USD 2,342/tonne on 2026-07-03. Year on year, the price is 2.1% higher than USD 2,367/tonne on 2025-10-01. The 52-week high of USD 2,514/tonne was recorded on 2026-01-07 and the 52-week low of USD 2,268/tonne on 2026-08-04.
According to Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), primary lead smelters in Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Yunnan completed maintenance in mid-to-late September, leading to a gradual resumption of production.
SMM also reported that lead-acid battery enterprises completed concentrated pre-holiday stockpiling for the National Day holiday, driving social lead ingot inventories to a seven-month low.
On trade, China Customs figures cited by SMM showed refined lead exports in August 2026 fell 82.30% month-on-month due to an inverted price ratio that made exporting unprofitable. Imports of refined lead surged 404.16% year-on-year in August 2026, driven by an Australia-South Korea duopoly that accounted for over 83% of total import volume.