China’s lithium iron phosphate output rises in Aug as demand improves

The industry chain remained in the doldrums overall this week, with some products stabilizing briefly, but demand-side improvement was limited. Electrolysis product prices stopped falling and rebounded, driven mainly by a phased increase in purchasing, though sustainability remains to be seen. The intermediate product market stayed in a stalemate, with upstream price-holding and low-price transactions intensifying the standoff; if low-priced supply persists, the price center still faces downside risk. Cost support for salt products continued to weaken, as low-cost recycled materials and low-price selling by some enterprises intensified market competition, while downstream purchase willingness remained cautious, leaving prices clearly under pressure. Co3O4 and cobalt chloride were broadly stable, but with both supply and demand weak and inventory digestion slow, there was little upward momentum in the short term. Cobalt powder quotations continued to edge lower, dragged down by weak demand from the cemented carbide sector. Ternary cathode precursors and ternary cathode materials continued to weaken under the impact of falling nickel and lithium raw material prices and reduced end-user orders, with production schedules also trending downward. LCO's traditional peak season performance fell short of expectations, with weak end-user stockpiling; falling costs and insufficient demand created dual pressure, and the market is expected to consolidate on a weak note in the short term.

Mongolia’s NSO reported molybdenum concentrate output, on a contained-metal basis, of 424.4 tonnes in July 2026, down 1.3% MoM and 17.0% YoY. Jan–Jul output totaled 3,290.5 tonnes, up 9.3% YoY.

Global chrome ore departures from major export ports totaled 479,700 mt in the week ended September 11, down 30.66% week-on-week, according to SMM's latest data. The pullback unwinds a portion of the prior week's surge, with the broad-based recovery seen across Maputo, Richards Bay, Mersin, and Beira proving short-lived. Maputo again absorbed the bulk of activity, with departures easing to 438,700 mt from 512,100 mt, a 14.33% decline that nonetheless lifted the port's share of total departures to roughly 91%, its highest level in the current data series. The port's relative resilience against a steeper market-wide contraction underscores its continued role as the primary anchor of regional chrome ore exports. Mersin departures fell more sharply, down 70.18% to 25,200 mt from 84,500 mt, while Richards Bay and Beira both reverted to zero departures after last week's rebound to 57,800 mt and 29,500 mt, respectively. The renewed halt at Richards Bay and Beira, following just one active week apiece, points to the intermittent, non-continuous nature of loadings at these secondary corridors rather than a sustained recovery in export activity. With Maputo now accounting for the near-totality of major-port volumes, the latest data reflects a reversion to the more concentrated flow pattern observed in the weeks preceding early September's broader pickup.