LME Pb stocks under 70Kt, page-4

One wonders if China is still having supply issues the way these stockpile numbers r going.

I know I know they r not to be trusted.

Cant deny the way its going there wont be much left in the warehouses soon. But will the price respond accordingly


http://www.mining.com/lead-production-expected-grow-2019-report/

Still lots of doubt surrounding the supply chain.

China a big unknown.

"When looking at China, the market researcher sees a lot of uncertainty regarding the Asian giant's lead production and its ability to respond to its own needs in a context of environmental inspections and the closure of facilities failing to meet regulations.

In the view of Wood Mackenzie, if China turns to the rest of the world for refined lead supply, this could unveil the real situation regarding the actual availability of the mineral at a time when exchange stocks are at their lowest for almost a decade.

"China remains the dominant player for both lead production and consumption, and the slowing of the Chinese economy and fall in automotive production will not substantially change that. What is less certain is the ability of China to supply its own lead demand," the analysis states.

The reason why the research firm doesn't see the drop in China's auto production impacting lead demand is that the need for replacement automotive batteries is expected to remain high given that car ownership reached 240 million units by the end of 2018, rising by 10.5% from 2017.Electric vehicles are another reason why China's and the rest of the world's demand for lead is expected to rise.WoodMac's data suggest that for the first time, annual global EV sales exceeded 2 million in 2018, with roughly half in China."EVs still use lead batteries. Lithium-ion (or sometimes nickel-metal hydride) batteries provide the energy to power the EV, but the lead battery provides the energy to control the EV," the market researcher's report explains.

Gr