Growing Imports Alleviated Spodumene Concentrate Supply Deficit in China in Q1 2022

SHANGHAI, Mar 24 (SMM) - China imported 180,770 mt of spodumene concentrates in January 2022, up 45.64% MoM and 16.52% YoY. Import volume from Australia was 169,919 mt, accounting for about 94% of the total imports. Half of the imported spodumene concentrates went to Sichuan Province at an average price of $1,147/mt, 37% to Jiangxi Province at an average price of $918/mt, 9% to Jiangsu Province at an average price of $1,848/mt, and 5% to Shanghai at an average price of $644/mt.

China imported 188,539 mt of spodumene concentrates in February 2022, up 4.3% MoM, but down 20.64% YoY. Import volume from Australia was 181,306 mt, accounting for about 96% of the total imports. About 37% of the imported spodumene concentrates went to Sichuan Province at average price of $1,329/mt, 57% to Jiangxi Province at an average price of $1,491/mt, and 5% to Jiangsu Province at an average price of $1,578/mt.

From January to February 2022, China's cumulative import volume of spodumene concentrate was 369,309 mt (equivalent to about 46,200 mt of LCE equivalent).

Many lithium salt plants in China were under maintenance from January to March, hence their raw material consumption decreased slightly when compared with Q4 in 2021. This, coupled with increasing imports, helped ease the supply gap of spodumene concentrates in Q1 2022 when compared with Q4 2021.

However, SMM sees no end to the supply deficit in sight.

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