2015.08.08 13:02

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 As the competition to secure recycled lead battery has continued in the domestic market, recycled lead battery prices remain steady at a high level. LME lead prices have dropped by more than $200/t since early June and domestic lead market prices also have declined by more than JPY20/kg, but the mainstream price of the recycled lead battery for automobile is unchanged at JPY90-94/kg ex yard from 2 months ago. In Kansai region, it is said that the prices are in the range of upper JPY90/kg sometimes to over JPY100/kg.

 

 

 

 

 With more demand for battery replacement in summer, generation of recycled lead battery increases, but a recycled lead battery dealer in Kanto region said, “The generation will increase actually from late August or in September.”

 Current market prices remain at a high level in the range of JPY94-JPY95/kg in Kanto and Tohoku regions.

 The competition for the material is much fiercer in Tohoku region and Hokkaido with a high export ratio of recycled lead battery.

 

 The recycled lead battery dealer claimed, “The situation is still unusual. If I offer the material at JPY95/kg to suppliers, they ignore it. Japanese suppliers have been seeking for a buyer who would purchase the material at a higher price even by JPY1/kg and sold the material a different buyer every time. If I buy the material at JPY95/kg, it’s not profitable for me. It’s not a normal business.”

 A secondary lead smelter in Kansai region where there are a lot of lead smelters and major exporting dealers said, “More suppliers often offer at JPY98/kg tax excluded and some even offer at JPY105/kg. I’ve gotten stuck.”

 

 After all, the export for Korea remains at a high level and Korean buying motive has not yet declined partly because a secondary lead smelter was newly established there.

 

 According to the Japanese statistics of foreign trade, 8,923 tons of recycled lead battery was exported to Korea in June. Given the average exporting price of JPY106/kg FOB, it cannot be considered surprising that the ex-yard prices are at upper JPY90/kg. But, even exporting dealers might have little profit.

 

 The exports of recycled lead battery in June by major custom office are as follows;

　　ISHIKARI               1,011 tons            (JPY107/kg)

　　OSAKA                  894 tons               (JPY105/kg)

　　TOKYO                  3,105 tons            (JPY105/kg)

　　HAKATA                433 tons               (JPY109/kg)

　　TOMAKOMAI         382 tons               (JPY107/kg)

　　AKITA FUNAKAWA 463 tons               (JPY107/kg)

　　TOBATA                388 tons               (JPY108/kg)

　　YOKOHAMA           277 tons               (JPY103/kg)

　　SHIMIZU               290 tons               (JPY102/kg)

 

 A Korean major secondary lead smelter said, “Nobody becomes profitable after competing to purchase the material. All the Korean lead smelters are in deficit.” In Korea, some smelters doubled its production capacity from last year to this year and increased the collection of recycled lead battery; other smelters adjusted their production properly and lowered the purchase of the material. While some smelters have begun to reduce the use of recycled lead battery due to diversification of raw procurement in different places around the world, Korea imports as much as 40,000 tons of recycled lead battery per month from across the world.

 

 As Korean purchase is likely to continue for a while, recycled lead battery prices will remain at a high level.

 However, everyone who deals with the material has not been able to make money anymore. Recycled lead battery market has already got saturated.

 

（Edited by Sasaki）

 

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