【SMM New Energy】PLS Signs Spodumene Offtake Deal with Canmax, Sets USD1000/t Floor Price and Secures USD100M Prepayment

Energy and commodities trader Mercuria recently announced the completion of its first copper and cobalt transaction with the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) state-owned cobalt company, EGC, marking a significant step forward in their cooperation in the field of critical metals. The deal was reached against the backdrop of the DRC government's introduction of a cobalt export quota system last year, while also requiring the implementation of EGC's mineral supply chain management and responsible sourcing standards in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Under the arrangement, the copper cathodes involved in the transaction will be shipped to markets such as the US, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) state-owned cobalt company, EGC, and the commodity trader Trafigura recently completed the first shipment of copper and cobalt products to the international market via the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), marking a significant advancement in the logistics system for DRC's ore exports. The Lobito Railway, approximately 1,300 kilometers long, connects the deep-water port of Lobito on Angola's Atlantic coast to the DRC border city of Luau and further extends to Kolwezi, the core area of DRC's copper-cobalt resources. This reduces the land transport time from the mining area to African ports to approximately seven days, making it the shortest and most efficient route connecting DRC's mineral resources to the global market.

The SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate index was 134,406 yuan/mt. SMM Battery-grade lithium carbonate was quoted at 132,000-140,000 yuan/mt, with an average price of 136,000 yuan/mt. SMM Industrial-grade lithium carbonate was quoted at 129,000-136,000 yuan/mt, with an average price of 132,500 yuan/mt. Today, the most-traded lithium carbonate futures contract moved sideways. As logistics gradually halted, downstream material plants largely completed February stockpiling. Most enterprises turned cautious and adopted a wait-and-see approach, with low psychological price levels for procurement. Some plants engaged in back-pricing and closing positions when prices were relatively low. Overall, market inquiries and transactions were sluggish.