The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) has indicated a slight uptick in global production for both zinc and lead across January-April of 2019, while global zinc demand remains in question against a 1.3% fall in global usage.
Across January-April of this year, lead mine production climbed up by 0.7% to 1,544,000 tonnes from 1,534,000 tonnes over the same period in 2018. Refined lead metal production over the same period also increased year on year by 2.2% to 3,870,000 tonnes. Global refined lead usage, of which more than 80% is accounted for in battery production, climbed by some 2.3% to 3,909,000 tonnes, largely due to greater consumption in China and India. Over the four-month period, Chinese imports of lead contained in lead concentrates increased by 30.7% year on year to around 260,000 tonnes. China imported some 135,523 tonnes of lead concentrates in April alone, up by 16.72% from 116,114 tonnes in March and 29.75% higher than 104,449 tonnes in April 2018, according to China's customs data.Global zinc mine production rose by...