[SMM Analysis] Hydrometallurgy Recycling Market This Week: LFP Black Mass Lithium Battery Continued to Rise, Ternary Black Mass Payables Edged Down, 2026.4.13-2026.4.16

Published: Apr 16, 2026 18:14

Save

Raw material side, lithium carbonate prices held up well this week due to supply disruptions caused by Zimbabwe's latest policy and mine license renewals in Jiangxi. Nickel salt prices fluctuated, while the cobalt salt market was lackluster with prices edging down.

SMM April 16 update:

Raw material side, lithium carbonate prices held up well this week due to supply disruptions from Zimbabwe's latest policy and mine permit renewals in Jiangxi, nickel salt prices fluctuated, and the cobalt salt market was lackluster with prices edging down. This week, by material type across ternary, LCO, and LFP categories: LFP wet-process side, taking LFP pole piece black mass as an example, the current price of LFP pole piece black mass was 6,850-7,350 yuan/mtu, with prices rising WoW compared to Thursday's transactions. As lithium carbonate futures and spot prices continued to rise this week, LFP black mass prices also continued to climb. Moreover, as some LFP recycling enterprises increasingly linked their pricing to futures prices, the price lag diminished and market responses became relatively more sensitive. Ternary and LCO side, as it was not a just-in-time procurement period, compounded by a top-tier enterprise suspending procurement of materials from the open market due to inventory and maintenance reasons, both ternary and LCO lithium payables began to decline, market transactions were few, and sentiment was sluggish.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Ma Rui 021-51595780

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lv Yanlin 021-20707875

Zhou Zhicheng 021-51666711

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 for 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

Jul 25, 2026 08:13

Cobalt Product Quotes in the Doldrums, Refined Cobalt Dropped Over 20,000 Yuan in a Single Week, Cobalt Sulphate Extends Losing Streak to Five Days [Weekly Observation]

Jul 25, 2026 08:13

Jul 24, 2026 19:38

H1 Battery Materials Import and Export Data Released, Lithium Carbonate Imports Surge over 50%, How About Other Segments? [SMM Special]

Jul 24, 2026 19:38

Jul 24, 2026 18:17

SMM Daily Review: Spot lithium carbonate price drifts lower on July 24

[SMM Daily Review: Spot Lithium Carbonate Prices Drifted Lower on July 24] SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot prices drifted lower compared with the previous working day. In the futures market, the lithium carbonate 2609 contract opened lower at 144,200 yuan/mt today, drifted lower after opening, moved sideways below the average price line (143,800 yuan/mt) in the morning, and hit a low of 141,300 yuan/mt; around midday, bulls and bears repeatedly struggled in the 141,000–144,000 yuan/mt range, with trading volume increasing in stages; in the afternoon, bulls briefly exerted strength, pushing the price to surge to 145,800 yuan/mt, before it encountered bearish selling pressure and drifted lower. The contract then consolidated at lows around 144,300 yuan/mt in the late session, finally closing down 0.88% at 144,300 yuan/mt. Open interest decreased by 13,209 lots. In the spot market, downstream purchase willingness moderated, with purchasing mainly as needed; upstream lithium chemical plants continued to hold prices firm and hold back from selling for spot orders, trading more with downstream through long-term contracts. Overall, market inquiries and actual transactions relatively slowed down.

Jul 24, 2026 18:17