Lead scrap and spent lead-acid battery prices in the United States have held steady, but precipitous declines on the London Metal Exchange are weighing on the market; meanwhile, zinc scrap prices remained flat in spite of soaring LME contracts.
Market participants have been keeping a close eye on lingering weakness in the LME lead contracts, with many noting that further deterioration could drag lead scrap prices down."If the LME gets too much lower, we could be seeing some further downward movement. We're getting everything we need. Even with the price drops last month, the material keeps coming in and we've had no issues," one US lead scrap consumer said. The LME's three-month lead contract closed the official session at $1,960 per tonne (88.9 cents per lb) on Tuesday October 9, down...