Lead Market Deficit Reached 95,000 Tonnes Till Nov '18

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) announced publication of its latest bulletin which provides preliminary data for world lead supply and demand during the initial eleven-month period of 2018. As per data, the world refined lead metal demand exceeded supply during this period, thereby pointing to a deficit market.

According to provisional data released by ILZSG, world lead metal demand totaled 10.772 million tonnes (Mt) during Jan-Nov ’18. During this period, only 10.677 Mt of refined lead was produced, thus resulting in a deficit of 95kt. Over the previous year, the production as well as usage of lead metal increased marginally. The total reported stock levels of lead metal declined modestly by 66,000 tonnes during Jan-Nov ‘18.

The global lead mine production declined marginally by nearly 2% over this period. The drop in output was primarily due to lower output by various producing countries including China, Kazakhstan, Peru, South Africa, Sweden and the United States. However, the production increased in Macedonia, Australia and Morocco. The lead mine output totaled 4.195 Mt during Jan-Nov ’18, marginally lower from the output of 4.281 Mt during the corresponding eleven-month period in 2017.

The refined lead metal usage registered marginal decline by 0.4% in the European region, mainly on account of reduced led metal usage in the Czech Republic and France.

The global lead mine output totaled 435.3 kt in Nov ’18. The monthly lead metal production and usage totaled 1.066 Mt and 1.101 Mt respectively.