LiCarbonate Daily - Market Update for May 17

Market Overview: On May 17, the lithium carbonate market saw a rebound with both futures and spot prices showing mixed performance. The main 2407 futures contract rose by 2.45%, while the spot market prices remained stable overall.

Spot Market:

• Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate:
  • SMM index: 106,882 yuan per ton (~14,783.13 USD/ton), down by 362 yuan from the previous day.
  • Price range: 104,000 - 110,000 yuan per ton, with an average price of 107,000 yuan per ton (~14,799.45 USD/ton), unchanged from the previous day.
• Industrial-Grade Lithium Carbonate:
  • Price range: 101,000 - 104,000 yuan per ton, with an average price of 102,500 yuan per ton (~14,177.04 USD/ton), unchanged from the previous day.

Futures Market: The main lithium carbonate 2407 contract opened at 104,500 yuan per ton (~14,453.67 USD/ton) and closed at 106,450 yuan per ton (~14,723.37 USD/ton). The trading volume was 147,292 contracts, and open interest decreased by 12,676 contracts to 184,611. After a stable morning session, prices steadily rose throughout the day, ultimately closing up by 2.45%.

Looking Forward:

• Production and Sales:
  • Non-integrated lithium salt producers face challenges adjusting production costs in response to recent price changes due to the time required for raw material procurement, transportation, and smelting.
  • Most lithium salt producers are maintaining prices and a wait-and-see approach, avoiding new quotes and scattered order sales.
• Purchasing Behavior:
  • Downstream buyers reported difficulties in purchasing spot goods at the previous day's lower prices, as trade companies adjusted their prices in line with the market rebound.
  • Some downstream enterprises, with high lithium carbonate inventories, continued to refrain from making new spot purchases.

* 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: