SMM July 9 Lithium manganate spot Express: lithium Carbonate prices need to wait and see India begins customs clearance and export recovery still takes time

[Vehicle Inventory Alert Index for July 2026 Reaches 61.1%] The latest “Vehicle Inventory Alert Index Survey” released by the China Automobile Dealers Association shows that the Vehicle Inventory Alert Index (VIA) for automobile dealers in July 2026 was 61.1%, up 3.9 percentage points YoY and up 3.9 percentage points MoM. The VIA, issued by the China Automobile Dealers Association, reflects the inventory level, market demand and operational risk of automobile dealers across the country. The index uses the 50% mark as the threshold. The July reading remained above the 50 mark, indicating that inventory pressure on automobile dealers exceeded the industry alert level.

[SMM Daily Comment: Spot Lithium Carbonate Fell Steadily on Aug 3] The SMM spot price of battery-grade lithium carbonate fell steadily today from the previous working day. The lithium carbonate 2609 contract opened low at 137,500 yuan/mt today, then fluctuated lower and dipped quickly, hitting a low of 135,600 yuan/mt; subsequently, bulls stepped in to push prices to a choppy rebound, and the morning session saw fluctuations around the average price line; near midday, bulls concentrated their strength, prices quickly surged past 140,000 yuan/mt and shot up to 140,800 yuan/mt; in the afternoon, faced with bearish selling pressure and profit-taking, prices consolidated and pulled back, and near the close, moved sideways in the 138,800-139,000 yuan range, finally settling down 1.15% at 138,900 yuan/mt, with open interest decreasing by 3,474 lots. In the spot market, coinciding with the first working day of the month, downstream material plants gradually received long-term contract and customer-supplied shipments. Spot order purchases were cautious, only purchasing as needed when prices were relatively low; upstream lithium chemical plants continued to hold prices firm for spot sales, mainly relying on long-term contracts and additional contract volumes to ensure supply at the beginning of the month. Overall, market inquiries and actual transaction activity decreased.

Recently, the national headquarters project of Jiefang Times New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. was officially established in the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone. As an innovative platform co-created by three industry giants—FAW Jiefang, CATL, and Tgood—for full-lifecycle services of new energy commercial vehicles, Jiefang Times will use Tianjin as its strategic hub to accelerate the deep transformation of the commercial vehicle industry toward green, electric, and intelligent development. Alongside the establishment of the headquarters, Jiefang Times' business expansion is also progressing rapidly. The company aims to achieve total assets exceeding 5 billion yuan and operating revenue reaching 1 billion yuan in 2026, serving as a key pillar for FAW Jiefang's new energy commercial vehicle leasing business.