LiCarbonate Daily - Market Update for May 14

Published: May 14, 2024 17:56

Source: SMM

Save

On May 14, lithium carbonate futures fell 2.05% to 105,000 yuan/ton (~14,502.76 USD/ton). The battery-grade index dropped to 109,232 yuan/ton (~15,087.29 USD/ton).

Market Overview: On May 14, the lithium carbonate market experienced a continued decline across both spot and futures markets. The main 2407 futures contract dropped by 2.05%, while spot prices for battery-grade and industrial-grade lithium carbonate also fell.

Spot Market:

Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate:
- SMM index: 109,232 yuan per ton (~15,087.29 USD/ton), down by 354 yuan from the previous day.
- Price range: 107,000 - 111,500 yuan per ton, with an average price of 109,250 yuan per ton (~15,089.78 USD/ton), down by 500 yuan.
Industrial-Grade Lithium Carbonate:
- Price range: 105,500 - 106,500 yuan per ton, with an average price of 106,000 yuan per ton (~14,640.88 USD/ton), down by 750 yuan.

Futures Market: The main lithium carbonate 2407 contract opened at 106,750 yuan per ton (~14,744.48 USD/ton) and closed at 105,000 yuan per ton (~14,502.76 USD/ton). Trading volume reached 214,774 contracts, and open interest increased by 692 contracts to 198,922. Prices were stable in the morning session but dropped significantly in the afternoon before partially recovering.

Looking Forward:

Production and Sales:
- Many lithium salt producers remain cautious about selling scattered orders, although they have slightly lowered their selling price expectations.
Purchasing Behavior:
- Some downstream cathode producers report their procurement targets are still below the current market prices, but there have been small purchases at lower prices.
- Several downstream enterprises indicate sufficient lithium carbonate inventories, acquired at lower prices, and plan to rely on stable long-term agreements for their monthly raw material needs, showing no immediate intent to replenish spot inventories.

* You can subscribe to LiCarbonate Daily and it will be sent to your email daily; To subscribe, simply send an email to me : robinhe@smm.cn *

If you have any questions regarding the recent movement of lithium carbonate market (e.g. what caused it and how this can affect your business), or would like to know more comprehensive pricing info on Lithium Carbonate. Please feel free to reach out to me:

Robin He

SMM Li-ion Battery Materials Department

E: robinhe@smm.cn | T: +86-21-51595884

Inventory Futures market Market review Output SMM price price of metal metal prices Energy Storage EV New Energy new energy prices Lithium Prices

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

15 hours ago

Total Investment Of 12 Billion Yuan Lithium Battery Project Lands In Guangzhou

On March 2, Youngy Group announced that it signed the "Youngy Group Guangzhou Development Zone New Energy Intelligent Manufacturing Base" project on February 24. The project plans a total investment of 12 billion yuan and will encompass three core segments: consumer batteries, power batteries, and energy storage products. The project will address the shortcomings in Guangzhou's battery industry sector and also provide strong support for the development of emerging industries in the region, such as the low-altitude economy and intelligent robotics.

15 hours ago

Gansu's Annual 100,000-Ton Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Material Project Officially Commences Production

Recently, the commissioning ceremony for the first phase of Gansu Jinlin Lithium Battery New Materials Co., Ltd.'s annual 100,000-ton lithium-ion battery cathode material production line project was held in Lanzhou New Area. The project covers a total area of 363 mu with a total investment of 3.135 billion yuan. It will be constructed in two phases, each with a capacity of 100,000 tons. Construction of the first phase, the annual 100,000-ton lithium iron phosphate production line, began in April 2024 and has officially commenced production after over a year of construction.

15 hours ago

17 hours ago

[SMM Analysis] Chinese New Year Off-Season “Reset,” Sodium-Ion Battery Industry Chain Recovery Poised to Begin

February 2026 coincided with the Chinese New Year holiday. Affected by holiday factors, production pace across core segments of China’s sodium-ion battery industry generally slowed, showing an “off-season reset” trend. From cathodes, anodes, and electrolyte to battery cells and end-users, production across all segments declined MoM to varying degrees, while YoY still maintained a certain degree of growth resilience.

17 hours ago