SMM Daily Review: Lithium Carbonate Spot Prices Surge on Jan 7, Market Sentiment Mixed

Published: Jan 7, 2026 11:48

Save

[SMM Daily Review: January 7 Lithium Carbonate Spot Prices Continue to Rise]
The SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate index stood at 132,231 yuan/mt, up 6,226 yuan/mt from the previous working day. SMM Battery-grade lithium carbonate was quoted at 128,000-139,000 yuan/mt, with an average price of 133,500 yuan/mt, up 6,000 yuan/mt from the previous working day. SMM Industrial-grade lithium carbonate was quoted at 126,000-134,000 yuan/mt, with an average price of 130,000 yuan/mt, up 5,750 yuan/mt from the previous working day.
In early trading, the most-traded lithium carbonate futures contract opened more than 7% higher, touching 147,000 yuan/mt, before pulling back to around 140,000 yuan/mt and fluctuating. Currently, sentiment among upstream players is diverging, with some lithium chemical plants showing increased willingness to sell spot orders, while others are holding back supplies and adopting a wait-and-see approach. Downstream cathode material plants, on the other hand, are generally cautious, with limited acceptance of high prices. Their purchases are mainly for rigid demand, and some have adopted back-pricing strategies. Overall, spot prices are being driven up by rigid-demand transactions, but both upstream and downstream players are growing more watchful after the price increase.

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

4 hours ago

SK On Consolidates Georgia Operations into Single Production System

SK On will transition to a unified production system centered on its SK Battery America (SKBA) operations in Georgia to improve efficiency in North America. According to the company on the 3rd, starting April 6 (local time), production volumes from SKBA’s first plant will be transferred to the second plant. In addition, part of the second plant’s production lines will be converted from electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing to energy storage system (ESS) production. The Georgia Plant 1 has an annual capacity of 10GWh and began commercial operations in the first quarter of 2022, while Plant 2 has a capacity of 12GWh and started operations in the fourth quarter of 2022.

4 hours ago

LG Energy Solution Joins Global Automotive Software Marketplace SDVerse as First Battery Maker

LG Energy Solution announced on April 3 that it has joined the automotive software open marketplace platform SDVerse, becoming the first battery manufacturer to participate. SDVerse is a B2B vehicle software platform founded by General Motors, Magna International, and Wipro. The platform provides an open ecosystem where automakers, global suppliers, and software developers can trade software solutions, supporting the transition toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

4 hours ago

SK On Terminates Natural Graphite Supply Agreement with Westwater

According to Westwater Resources on the 3rd, it received a contract termination notice from SK On on March 31 (local time). Under the agreement, SK On had planned to source up to 34,000 tons of natural graphite produced at Westwater’s Kellyton facility in Alabama between 2027 and 2031, but the plan has been canceled following the termination.

4 hours ago