China May Limit Lead, Zinc Smelting, Securities Says
China may limit lead-smelting capacity to 5.5 million metric tons a year and zinc-smelting capacity to 7.5 million tons a year by 2015, the Shanghai Securities News reported today, citing Zhao Cuiqing, director of the lead and zinc department of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
The proposed limits are part of China’s so-called 12th five-year plan, covering the period from 2011 to 2015, and have been submitted to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top planning agency, the Shanghai- based newspaper reported.
China is the world’s largest producer of refined zinc and lead, and Beijing has been working on eliminating outdated facilities in recent years to protect the environment. The proposal is in line with Zhao’s comments on Nov. 13 at a conference in Shenzhen.
China’s lead consumption may reach 5.15 million tons by 2015 and zinc demand may total 7.1 million tons, Zhao said on Nov. 13. The country is expected to produce 3.87 million tons of lead and 5 million tons of zinc this year, according to researcher Beijing Antaike Information Development Co.
--Helen Sun and John Liu. Editors: Matthew Oakley, Jake Lloyd- Smith.
To contact the Bloomberg News staff on this story: Helen Sun in Shanghai at hsun30@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at jpool4@bloomberg.net
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