Spodumene concentrate imports extend increase in Apr 

SHANGHAI, May 30 (SMM) – China imported some 166,000 mt, in physical content, of spodumene concentrate in April, up 2.2% on the month and up 76.7% on the year, showed the latest customs data. This followed after the imports expanded 19% month on month, to 163,000 mt in March. 

Imports of spodumene raw ore, however, slipped 99% from a year ago to 20.36 million mt in April. Spodumene raw ore imports orignate from South Africa and are applied in the glass and ceramic industries. 

Import prices of spodumene concentrate averaged $696/mt in April, up 5.5% from March but down 6% from April 2018, according to China Customs. For spodumene raw ore, the average import price jumped 14% on the year, to $130/mt. 

Higher purchasing prices of $1,086/mt fob for spodumene concentrate, by Tianqi Xinlong Science & Technology under Tianqi Lithium, raised the average import prices, SMM learned. Last month, the company procured 7,300 mt of spodumene concentrate, which is of technical-grade and used to produce glass and ceramic, instead of lithium carbonate. 

Greater imports of spodumene concentrate from Australia-based mining company Talison Lithium also boosted the import prices in April. However, SMM assessed that current prices of seaborne spodumene in the spot market continue to trend downwards, standing at $620-650/mt cif as of Wednesday May 29. 

SMM expects supply surplus to continue to lower the prices of spodumene concentrate, to below $600/mt cif, in the second half of the year.