As exportações chilenas de carbonato de lítio caem na comparação mensal, mas sobem na anual, com a China permanecendo como principal compradora.

An official from the Department of Consumption Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce commented on China's consumer market in May 2026. As China's consumer market undergoes structural optimization and upgrading, household consumption is shifting from being dominated by goods to a balance of goods and services. From January to May, total retail sales of social consumer goods and services increased by 2.8% YoY (the same hereinafter); total retail sales of consumer goods reached RMB 20.6 trillion, up 1.4%, of which retail sales of consumer goods excluding automobiles grew 2.7%; and service retail sales rose 5.4%. In May, the domestic retail penetration rate of NEVs reached 62.9%, setting a new record high. Big data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that from January to May, sales of smart glasses on key platforms grew 2.8 times, sales of handheld photography equipment increased 24.2%, sales of smart blood glucose meters rose 14.7%, and sales of organic food were up 3.6%.

Em maio de 2026, as importações chinesas de cobalto em formas brutas totalizaram aproximadamente 673 toneladas, queda de 50% na comparação mensal e alta de 3% na anual; as exportações de cobalto em formas brutas somaram cerca de 370 toneladas, alta de 70% no mês e queda de 88% no ano.

Em maio de 2026, as importações chinesas de produtos intermediários de hidrometalurgia de cobalto totalizaram aproximadamente 2.584 t em conteúdo físico, alta de 107% MoM e queda de 95% YoY, das quais as importações da RDC somaram cerca de 2.066 t em conteúdo físico, alta de 119% MoM e queda de 96% YoY.