Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide Prices still in Downturn

Published: Jan 16, 2023 15:31

Source: SMM

Save

SHANGHAI, Jan 16 (SMM) - Lithium carbonate prices continued to fall last week.

SHANGHAI, Jan 16 (SMM) - Lithium carbonate prices continued to fall last week. After lowering their prices continuously, smelters began to take a wait-and-see stance and were not eager to sell at lower prices. Cathode active material (CAM) plants have suspended their purchases before the Chinese New Year (CNY) and expected lithium carbonate prices to go down further. Some CAM plants have already been closed for the CNY holiday. Some traders dumped their battery-grade lithium carbonate inventories, while others took the CNY break in advance. Lithium carbonate prices are forecast to stabilise or drop slightly this week amid scarce trades.

Lithium hydroxide prices fell further last week. The top-tier smelters still focused on exports. The domestic and overseas prices both declined amid faltering demand. The prices of top-tier smelters fell less sharply than those of second-tier ones. As CAM plants held back from buying amid bearish sentiment and lithium carbonate prices kept falling, lithium hydroxide prices declined steadily. Lithium hydroxide prices are likely to stabilise or drop slightly amid muted transactions in the last week before the CNY holiday.

Market Market

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Mar 6, 2026 23:12

Gulf disruption squeezes Indonesia nickel makers' sulphur supply

Due to the conflict in the Middle East, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted, raising the risk of tighter global sulphur supplies. Indonesia relies on the Middle East for around 75% of its sulphur imports, and sulphur is a key raw material for producing sulphuric acid, which is essential for leaching metals in nickel and copper processing. Analysts note that sulphur inventories at Indonesia’s HPAL nickel plants typically cover only one to two months of consumption. If transport disruptions persist, some plants may be forced to cut production as early as next month. Overall, if shipping disruptions in the Middle East continue for more than a few weeks, production and demand for related metals may need to slow.

Mar 6, 2026 23:12

Mar 6, 2026 18:15

Inner Mongolia Envision's 120 MW Wind-Storage Project Achieves Grid Connection on March 3

On March 3, the 120,000 kW generation-grid-load-storage integrated project of Inner Mongolia Envision New Materials Co., Ltd. in Damaoqi successfully achieved grid connection. The project’s core construction covers two major segments: power supply and energy storage. The wind power section has a total installed capacity of 120 MW, with a 22 MW/22 MWh electrochemical ESS built simultaneously. The project adopts advanced grid-forming ESS technology, enabling smoothing and regulation of wind power output and flexible power dispatch, effectively improving the stability of power supply and supporting the efficient consumption of new energy power.

Mar 6, 2026 18:15

Mar 6, 2026 17:18

[SMM Analysis] Hormuz Crisis: Methanol Supply Risks and the Rising Strategic Value of Green Methanol

A blocked Strait of Hormuz would upend global methanol supplies, hammer conventional methanol markets, and elevate green methanol’s strategic value, pushing China to diversify imports and boost green methanol for supply security.

Mar 6, 2026 17:18