China Lead Price Today
Live China lead price from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), shown in US dollars and Chinese yuan per tonne.
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China Lead Price (SHFE)
Shanghai Futures Exchange settlement in US dollars ($/tonne)
How China prices lead
China dominates global lead supply and demand, driven by lead-acid batteries, and the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) lead contract is its domestic benchmark. SHFE quotes lead in Chinese yuan per tonne; we convert it to US dollars so you can compare China's lead price with the LME.
Why China's lead price matters
Most lead goes into batteries for vehicles, e-bikes, and backup power, so SHFE lead reflects China's huge transport and battery-recycling industries. Secondary (recycled) supply makes the Chinese lead market distinctively well-supplied.
Reading the chart in yuan and dollars
SHFE quotes lead in Chinese yuan per tonne (¥/t). Use the currency toggle above the chart to switch between the native yuan price and the US-dollar equivalent, which we compute from the live USD/CNY exchange rate. Viewing both makes it easy to separate a real move in the lead price from a move that is really just the yuan strengthening or weakening against the dollar. For warehouse inventory and settlement detail, see our SHFE lead page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the China lead price set?
- China's lead benchmark is the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) lead contract, settled in Chinese yuan per tonne. We convert it to US dollars per tonne with the live USD/CNY rate for comparison with the LME.
- What drives China's lead demand?
- Lead-acid batteries dominate, used in vehicles, electric bikes and scooters, and backup power. China's vast e-bike fleet and replacement-battery cycle make domestic lead demand relatively steady.
- What is the difference between primary and secondary lead in China?
- Primary lead is smelted from mined ore; secondary lead is recovered from recycled batteries. China has a large and growing secondary-lead industry, which adds supply and tends to keep the domestic market well supplied.
- How does the China lead price compare with the LME?
- SHFE and LME lead share global fundamentals but differ on the import arbitrage, VAT, and the balance of primary versus recycled supply inside China. The spread is a useful read on domestic tightness.