China's spodumene concentrate imports in Sep rose in volume on lower prices  

SHANGHAI, Nov 4 (SMM) – China imported some 224,000 mt in physical content of spodumene concentrate in September, up 82.2% from a month ago, with the average import prices dipping 2.5% on the month to $615/mt, the latest customs data showed.  

Last month, China's major lithium compounds producer Tianqi Lithium was the top importer of spodumene concentrate, as it took about 7,200 mt lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) from overseas, which was used to produce lithium salts.

Average import price of the company came in at $661.6/mt on a fob basis. 

Pressure of elevated lithium ore stockpiles has shifted to overseas miners, as downstream buyers withheld from procuring on falling prices of lithium salts since 2018. 

SMM expects the inventory pressure to ease in the short term as decline in domestic lithium salt prices continue to squeeze margins at miners.