This week, echelon battery market prices experienced a slight overall decline, though the drop remained limited as the market largely adopted a wait-and-see approach. Global tariff policies have impacted demand for overseas export projects, but due to the relatively small share of the U.S. battery cell market, prices for related battery cells and lithium salts remained stable. However, amid pessimistic expectations for future lithium salt prices, echelon utilization companies avoided bulk purchasing and focused on essential procurement while maintaining caution. Meanwhile, upstream battery cell manufacturers and traders held firm on pricing, keeping B-grade echelon battery prices steady this week.
On the supply side, while battery cell production was affected by export constraints, there were no major disruptions. Domestic battery replacement projects continued as usual, ensuring sufficient supply of echelon cells relative to demand. On the demand side, echelon utilization companies primarily serve the domestic market, maintaining stable production plans with no significant shifts in downstream demand, leaving the overall supply-demand balance unchanged. In the short term, some echelon manufacturers, anticipating further price declines, will continue prioritizing essential purchases. Prices are expected to remain stable or see slight downward adjustments.
