Chinese lithium carbonate prices up
2024-03-19 08:29:51 [Print]
BEIJING (Asian Metal) 19 Mar 24 - Under the tight supply, Chinese lithium carbonate suppliers increased their prices today. The current mainstream prices of Chinese lithium carbonate 99.2%min, Na 0.15%max, K 0.2%max hover at RMB106,000-109,000/t (USD14,745-15,163/t) delivered D/P, up by about RMB2,000/t (USD278/t) from late last week. Consumers inquire actively today but some of them couldn't accept such high prices. Given the high production cost, insiders predict that the mainstream prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would hover at the present level this week.
"We offer RMB107,000/t (USD14,884/t) delivered D/P and could consider a counteroffer of RMB1,000/t (USD139/t) at most today, while we refused prices lower than RMB106,000/t (USD14,745/t) late last week", said a producer in Hunan, adding that their consumers inquire actively today, but they failed to close any deal after last selling 30t at RMB102,000/t (USD14,189/t) delivered D/P about ten days ago. The producer complained that they lost money as their production cost remains higher than RMB110,000/t (USD15,302/t) now. However, given that a lot of consumers have difficulties in accepting the current prices, they anticipate that the mainstream prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would drop this week.
With an annual production capacity of 5,000t, they estimate to produce about 500t in March, while they produced northing in February. They hold about 200t of stocks for the time being.
A trader in Shanghai quotes RMB112,000/t (USD15,579/t) delivered D/P and refuses prices lower than RMB111,000/t (USD15,441/t) for lithium carbonate 99.6%min, Na 0.01%max, K 0.003%max today, while they refused prices lower than RMB106,000/t (USD14,745/t) last Friday, when they closed no deal due to inactive buying activities of consumers. "We sold 30t at RMB111,000/t (USD15,441/t) delivered D/P today", noted the trader, stressing that consumers buy actively today under the rising prices. But given that the downstream demand has no big improvement, they predict that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would remain flat this week.
Based on a regular monthly trading volume of about 180t, they plan to sell about 300t in March, while they had no sale last month. They hold around 30t of inventory for the time being.
"We offer RMB107,000/t (USD14,884/t) delivered D/P and could consider a counteroffer of RMB1,000/t (USD139/t) at most today, while we refused prices lower than RMB106,000/t (USD14,745/t) late last week", said a producer in Hunan, adding that their consumers inquire actively today, but they failed to close any deal after last selling 30t at RMB102,000/t (USD14,189/t) delivered D/P about ten days ago. The producer complained that they lost money as their production cost remains higher than RMB110,000/t (USD15,302/t) now. However, given that a lot of consumers have difficulties in accepting the current prices, they anticipate that the mainstream prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would drop this week.
With an annual production capacity of 5,000t, they estimate to produce about 500t in March, while they produced northing in February. They hold about 200t of stocks for the time being.
A trader in Shanghai quotes RMB112,000/t (USD15,579/t) delivered D/P and refuses prices lower than RMB111,000/t (USD15,441/t) for lithium carbonate 99.6%min, Na 0.01%max, K 0.003%max today, while they refused prices lower than RMB106,000/t (USD14,745/t) last Friday, when they closed no deal due to inactive buying activities of consumers. "We sold 30t at RMB111,000/t (USD15,441/t) delivered D/P today", noted the trader, stressing that consumers buy actively today under the rising prices. But given that the downstream demand has no big improvement, they predict that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would remain flat this week.
Based on a regular monthly trading volume of about 180t, they plan to sell about 300t in March, while they had no sale last month. They hold around 30t of inventory for the time being.
