US Battery Production to Spur Lead Demand

Cleveland, OH, August 20, 2021 — US demand for lead is projected to grow 5.1% yearly in volume terms through 2025, according to Lead: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Demand for lead in batteries, the dominant segment, is projected to grow 5.4% per year to 2025 from a suppressed base in 2020. Expanding motor vehicle production will increase US output of lead-acid batteries. Rising numbers of motor vehicles in use will drive growth for replacement batteries. Increasing investment in renewable energy and power grid storage will support growth for stationary batteries. However, continued competition from aluminum, copper, plastics, and other materials in construction materials, coatings, packaging, and electronic applications will limit further gains.

Lead demand is projected to grow 6.6% in 2021 from a depressed 2020 level. The biggest gains will be seen in automobile batteries, as restrictions are lifted and commuting and travel pick up. Many who did not use their cars during the pandemic are finding that their lead-acid batteries need to be replaced, pushing up demand. However, shortages of computer chips will limit car production in 2021 and possibly 2022, and thus hinder faster gains in demand for lead-acid batteries. Also limiting such sales will be transport delays of lead due to bottlenecks in the shipping industry, which are pushing up lead price premiums further.

These and other key insights are featured in Lead: United States. This report forecasts to 2021 and 2025 US lead demand and production in metric tons of lead content. Total demand is segmented by application in terms of:

• batteries
• metal products
• other applications such as glass, ceramic products, paint, and chemicals

Total production is segmented by type as follows:

• mine production
• primary refinery production
• secondary refinery production

To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total production, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2010 to 2020. Re-exports of lead are excluded from demand and trade figures.

More information about the report is available at:

https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Lead-United-States-FF65018/?progid=91541