SMM Daily Review: February 5 Spot Lithium Carbonate Prices Continued to Decline

This week, the market prices for cascade-use B-grade battery cells remained generally stable. Cost side, lithium carbonate prices continued their downward trend, nickel sulphate prices edged down slightly, and only cobalt sulphate prices held firm, with overall cost support weakening. Supply side, battery cell manufacturers maintained a steady shipments pace with no significant increase, and market supply remained relatively stable. Demand side, energy storage continued to be the core market driver, but as procurement standards kept rising, B-grade battery cells, constrained by quality compliance limitations, struggled to enter the mainstream demand market, with A-grade battery cells becoming the absolute procurement preference. Among them, standard energy storage high-demand models such as 314Ah and 280Ah saw tight supply and intense competition for goods, with prices continuing to be pushed higher, while B-grade battery cells, affected by limited compliance space, maintained largely stable prices with no notable fluctuations.