In 2024, the average price for lead stood at 2,069 nominal U.S. dollars per metric ton. It is forecast that in 2026 the price of one metric ton of lead will amount to 2,000 nominal U.S. dollars.

Lead rose to 2,003.78 USD/T on December 2, 2025, up 0.11% from the previous day. Over the past month, Lead's price has fallen 1.32%, and is down 3.99% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Lead - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

View monthly updates and historical trends for Lead Price. Source: World Bank. Track economic data with YCharts analytics.

In 2021, the average annual market price of copper peaked at ***** U.S. dollars per metric ton, before slightly decreasing in 2022 and 2023, when its average price was ***** U.S. dollars. Copper consumption Copper is a base metal that has a wide variety of uses, which makes it an important commodity. Equipment production generally accounts on average for one third of copper consumption, making it the largest global end use of copper. The country with the highest demand for copper as of 2022 was China, with a demand amounting to nearly ************ metric tons of copper. Following China was Europe, with a total demand of just over *********** metric tons. Copper market prices The London Metal Exchange and Comex both provide market prices for copper. In 2023, the copper price for the London Metal Exchange was about *** U.S. cents per pound. The average Comex price in 2022 was estimated to be about *** U.S. cents per pound.

Global refined lead production amounted to 11.9 million metric tons in 2022. That was a decrease of approximately 300,000 metric tons of refined lead production compared to the previous year. Lead metal production As of 2023, China was by far the main lead producer in the world. Chinese lead mining in that year reached 1.9 million metric tons, while the country's refined lead production amounted to over five million metric tons in 2022. The major lead producing countries are reflected in the top lead mining companies worldwide, with Australia’s BHP and American the Doe Run Company being counted among the largest companies. Lead is a base metal typically used in the production of car batteries, which account for about 80 percent of worldwide lead consumption, and over two-thirds of the metal end up in car batteries. Lead metal consumption The global health crisis lead to a reduction in the global demand for lead. Global lead consumption amounted to over 13 million metric tons in 2023, a slight increase in comparison to the previous two years. Alongside the steady lead consumption volume in the past few years, lead prices in the North American market have also been consistent over the past three years, at an average of 115 U.S. cents per pound. The growing production of electric cars and bicycles is likely to boost demand for lead over the next couple of years, with China being projected to account for most of the growth. While lithium-ion batteries are expected to replace lead-acid batteries eventually, Chinese demand for lead-based batteries remains strong.

Copper rose to 5.19 USD/Lbs on December 2, 2025, up 0.35% from the previous day. Over the past month, Copper's price has risen 3.22%, and is up 25.36% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Copper - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Producer Price Index by Commodity: Metals and Metal Products: Cold Rolled Steel Sheet and Strip (WPU101707) from Jun 1982 to Sep 2025 about steel, metals, commodities, PPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

In the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, the global price of copper amounted to more than 9,508 U.S. dollars per metric ton. Between Q4 2022 and Q2 2025, the highest price of copper worldwide was in Q2 2024, when it reached almost 9,750 U.S. dollars per metric ton.

Steel rose to 3,117 CNY/T on December 2, 2025, up 0.23% from the previous day. Over the past month, Steel's price has risen 1.30%, but it is still 7.09% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Steel - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

LME Index rose to 4,700 Index Points on October 29, 2025, up 0.79% from the previous day. Over the past month, LME Index's price has risen 7.33%, and is up 13.22% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. LME Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

In 2024, the average spot price of cobalt cathode in the U.S. stood at an estimated ** U.S. dollars per pound. That was a slight decrease compared to the previous year's spot price, which was **** U.S. dollars per pound. While cobalt spot prices have been on the rise in many recent years, they are still lower than in 2018, when the cobalt spot price reached a high of ***** U.S. dollars per pound. Cobalt prices Due to market surpluses of cobalt, prices of the mineral commodity have decreased compared to 2022. In 2022, the annual average global price for one metric ton of cobalt amounted to ****** U.S. dollars, while it is expected to decrease to ****** U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2024. The cobalt futures price as of February 2024 stood at ****** U.S. dollars per metric ton. Cobalt in the United States The largest share of cobalt consumption in the United States is attributable to superalloys, followed by chemical and ceramic uses, then steel alloys, and finally cemented carbides. Since the U.S. has only one domestic cobalt mine that opened in 2022, domestic demand is partially met through imports. Between 2019 and 2022, Norway was the largest supplier of cobalt imports to the United States. As of 2021, cobalt in its metal form had the highest value out of all cobalt imports to the United States.

Aluminum fell to 2,884.05 USD/T on December 2, 2025, down 0.29% from the previous day. Over the past month, Aluminum's price has fallen 0.99%, but it is still 10.42% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Aluminum - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

Zinc fell to 3,063.05 USD/T on December 2, 2025, down 1.24% from the previous day. Over the past month, Zinc's price has fallen 1.42%, and is down 1.26% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Zinc - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

In 2024, the Sri Lankan lead market decreased by -5.1% to $42M, falling for the second consecutive year after six years of growth. Overall, the total consumption indicated a measured increase from 2012 to 2024: its value increased at an average annual rate of +3.0% over the last twelve-year period. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2024 figures, consumption decreased by -5.6% against 2022 indices.

In 2023, exports of lead ores from Belarus declined notably to 942 kg, which is down by -18.4% on 2022.

Nickel fell to 14,879.88 USD/T on December 3, 2025, down 0.20% from the previous day. Over the past month, Nickel's price has fallen 1.20%, and is down 7.47% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Nickel - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

The industry for the production of forged, pressed, drawn and stamped parts is facing numerous challenges. As automotive suppliers, the majority of industry players are closely linked to their customer market. The upheaval in the automotive industry and the resulting crisis among German manufacturers are therefore also having a direct impact on sales trends in the forging industry. In addition, volatile commodity prices, a possible trade war with the USA and continued high energy prices are having a strong negative impact on the industry's development. Against this backdrop, the industry has only recorded slight growth at an average annual rate of 2.3% since 2020. In the current year, turnover is expected to fall by 1.7% compared to the previous year and amount to 29.5 billion euros.Recently, industry players have not only been confronted with volatile demand from car manufacturers, but also with a decline in production volumes in the German economy. The automotive industry is the sector's most important customer market, which is why changes in the automotive industry have a major impact on the metal parts manufacturing sector. Automotive suppliers specialising in components for combustion engines in particular are under increasing pressure. They have to adapt to the trend towards electromobility and the resulting change in demand for vehicle parts. In order not to fall behind in areas such as resource-efficient production, automation and digitalisation, market players must also invest heavily in research and development. The volatility of metal prices and high energy costs since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 have led to a significant increase in production costs. These could only be passed on to a limited extent to the major customers in the automotive industry, who are in a better negotiating position due to favourable import opportunities. This has resulted in falling profit margins for the industry. As a consequence, some companies are expected to leave the market.For the period from 2025 to 2030, IBISWorld expects average annual industry growth of 2.1% and industry turnover of 32.8 billion euros in 2030. In the coming years, raw material prices are expected to stabilise and energy costs are expected to fall, which should lead to a slight easing of the cost burden. It can also be assumed that companies will continue to invest in automation and digitalisation and further optimise their manufacturing processes. This should also contribute to an increase in efficiency and margins. In view of this, demand for highly qualified labour with the skills required to operate and monitor new machines and technologies is expected to increase.

Tin fell to 39,136 USD/T on December 1, 2025, down 0.06% from the previous day. Over the past month, Tin's price has risen 8.57%, and is up 36.97% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Tin - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

In November 2022, the fabricated structural metal price stood at $3,161 per ton (CIF, US), with an increase of 2.7% against the previous month.

In 2023, imports of lead into Pakistan soared to 17K tons, with an increase of 74% against 2022.