Global mine production of lead was about 5.46 million tonnes in 2014. The top mine lead production countries include China, Australia, the USA, Peru and Mexico, with the first two accounting for 54% and 13.2% of the total mined lead output, respectively.
Lead: structure of mined production by country, 2014
However, lead mining has turned out under strong pressure due to environmental concerns. The effect of lead mining on the environment has been markedly reduced over the past 20 years as has the use of toxic lead compounds. Likewise, lead in petrol is being progressively reduced in many countries and lead compounds in paints have been replaced with non-toxic titanium compounds. It should be noted that more than half of the lead consumed today comes from recycling, rather than mining. In the USA, for instance, lead-acid batteries, which is the largest segment of lead consumption, have a higher recycling rate than any other product sold in this country, but lead smelting, which is practically the only way to recycle these batteries, is also a source of extreme contamination. Nevertheless, lead-acid batteries still occupy a large chunk of the battery market, being cheaper than their lithium counterparts. The increase in the demand for batteries and power generation drives the world lead industry, pushing the demand for lead quicker than the current lead output growth rate. However, lithium batteries are gradually holding sway. To mitigate the above-mentioned negative environmental impacts and provide competitive solutions, the global lead industry should heavily rely on the R&D sector and technological innovations. These considerations may affect the lead industry in the medium- and long-term future. In the short-term scenarios, the current slow-down in China or the strengthening of the US dollar may play a bigger role in determining lead price dynamics.
More information on the lead market can be found in the in-demand research report “Lead: 2016 World Market Review and Forecast”.