Chinese lithium carbonate suppliers expect stable prices
2024-03-21 08:03:55 [Print]
BEIJING (Asian Metal) 21 Mar 24 - As most of the downstream consumers already completed inventory accumulation for the month of March last week, the lithium carbonate market activities slowed down this week. However, considering the high production cost, most suppliers expect stable prices. The current mainstream prices of Chinese lithium carbonate 99.2%min, Na 0.15%max, K 0.2%max stand at RMB106,000-109,000/t (USD14,716-15,132/t) delivered D/P, without much change from late last week. Given the high production cost but slow market movement, insiders predict that the mainstream prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would not change much later this week.
"Our consumers don't buy actively this week as they have enough stocks. But given the tight supply, we predict that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would remain stable later this week", said a trader in Zhejiang, who offers RMB110,000/t (USD15,271/t) delivered D/P and could consider the price as low as RMB109,500/t (USD15,202/t) for lithium carbonate 99.6%min, Na 0.01%max, K 0.003%max on Wednesday morning, when they closed no deal. The trader quoted RMB112,000/t (USD15,549/t) delivered D/P and refused prices lower than RMB111,000/t (USD15,410/t) late last week and they sold 100t at RMB11,100/t (USD15,410/t) then.
With a regular monthly trading volume of about 1,000t, they expect to sell about 2,000t in March, up by about 1,000t MoM. They hold about 120t for the time being.
"There is no significant improvement for the demand of EV recently, but prices of spodumene keep firm. Therefore, we estimate that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would hover at the present level later this week", noted another trader in Hubei, adding that they don't quote today as they have limited stocks, while they offered RMB106,000/t (USD14,716/t) delivered D/P without any concession late last week for industrial grade lithium carbonate 99.5%min produced by wasted battery. They sold 30t at RMB106,000/t (USD14,716/t) then.
Based a typical monthly trading volume of about 1,000t, they expect to sell about 1,000t this month, up by about 300t MoM. They hold about 60t of stocks now.
"Our consumers don't buy actively this week as they have enough stocks. But given the tight supply, we predict that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would remain stable later this week", said a trader in Zhejiang, who offers RMB110,000/t (USD15,271/t) delivered D/P and could consider the price as low as RMB109,500/t (USD15,202/t) for lithium carbonate 99.6%min, Na 0.01%max, K 0.003%max on Wednesday morning, when they closed no deal. The trader quoted RMB112,000/t (USD15,549/t) delivered D/P and refused prices lower than RMB111,000/t (USD15,410/t) late last week and they sold 100t at RMB11,100/t (USD15,410/t) then.
With a regular monthly trading volume of about 1,000t, they expect to sell about 2,000t in March, up by about 1,000t MoM. They hold about 120t for the time being.
"There is no significant improvement for the demand of EV recently, but prices of spodumene keep firm. Therefore, we estimate that the prevailing prices of Chinese industrial grade lithium carbonate would hover at the present level later this week", noted another trader in Hubei, adding that they don't quote today as they have limited stocks, while they offered RMB106,000/t (USD14,716/t) delivered D/P without any concession late last week for industrial grade lithium carbonate 99.5%min produced by wasted battery. They sold 30t at RMB106,000/t (USD14,716/t) then.
Based a typical monthly trading volume of about 1,000t, they expect to sell about 1,000t this month, up by about 300t MoM. They hold about 60t of stocks now.
