The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) announced that provisional data reported to the ILZSG indicate that world refined lead metal demand exceeded supply by 110kt during the first nine months of 2018. Over the same period total reported stock levels decreased by 49kt. A 0.9% fall in global lead mine production was primarily due to lower output in Australia, Kazakhstan, Peru, South Africa and the United States that more than offset increases in Europe, India and Morocco.
Refined global lead metal output remained stable compared to the first nine months of 2017, mainly influenced by rises in Australia, India and the United States, that balanced decreases in Canada, China, Germany, Italy and Poland.
A 0.6% fall in global usage was primarily a consequence of reductions in Japan, Korea Rep., Mexico and the United States. In Europe, a modest 0.3% rise was mainly influenced by increases in apparent usage in Austria, Italy and Poland that were partially offset by reductions in the Czech Republic and France.
