Commodity: lead

Lead is a soft, blunt, malleable chemical element with the symbol Pb that can be derived from mined ores such as lead sulfide (PbS) galena, cerussite (lead carbonate), anglesite (lead sulfate) and scrap materials, including batteries, pipes, etc. Lead is mainly used in lead-acid batteries, followed by pigments, ammunition, cable sheaths and others. The lead market is segmented by application and geography. Australia has the largest lead reserves in the world, around 36 million tons by 2020, although China has the highest lead mine production in the world.

On August 1, 2025, lead increased by 0.07% from the day before to 1,974.78 USD/T. According to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity, the price of lead has dropped 4.22% over the last month and 2.38% from the same period last year.

Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate global lead consumption, with the majority of demand coming from China, Korea, Japan and ASEAN countries. The battery segment is expected to dominate the market. Lead-acid batteries are used in electric vehicles (EVs), especially commercial EVs, to supplement other loads. China is currently the largest market for electric vehicles.