Lead Price in 2003

In 2003, the price of lead averaged $515 per tonne, up 13.7% from the year before. This page covers the 2003 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

2003 Average

$515

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2002

+13.7%

from $453 in 2002

2003 High

$736

from daily trading data

2003 Low

$426

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$736

last trading day of 2003

What happened to the lead price in 2003

Lead averaged $515 per tonne in 2003, up 13.7% from $453 the year before. Daily trading data shows lead moved between a low of $426 and a high of $736 during the year, ending 2003 at $736.

From an early-2000s trough near $450, the China supercycle and tightening supply spiked lead to about $2,580 in 2007, before the 2008 crisis crash.

Adjusted for inflation, lead's 2003 average of $515 equals about $902 in today's dollars. The conversion uses US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the price of lead in 2003?

Lead averaged $515 per tonne in 2003, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $426 to a high of $736, and the year closed at $736. That average was up 13.7% from $453 in 2002.

What is a 2003 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 2003 average of $515 works out to roughly $902 in today's dollars, using 2025 as the CPI base year. The conversion uses BLS CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

Annual averages are World Bank and LME lead prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). The 2025 figure is preliminary. Where daily data exists, the per-year high, low, and close come from MetalCharts historical data. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.