Lead: 5 things to look for in 2019

Lead's year-long price decline is not poised to reverse in the coming year. Mine output will finally reverse a four-year decline to growth significantly,. But this, combined with other factors, may not have a proportionate effect on refined metal avaiability and instead result in a smelter bottleneck. Demand growth remains steady despite the turn in fortunes of the Chinese economy, although pressure continues to increase on the use lead for batteries from alternative battery technologies and a move away from the internal combustion engine car.