SMM Analysis On China July Lithium Carbonate Imports And August Forecast

Regarding imports, China's lithium carbonate import volume for July was about 24,152 mt, up 23% MoM. Among this, imports from Chile were about 19,158 mt, accounting for 79% of the total lithium carbonate imports; imports from Argentina were about 4,727 mt, accounting for 20%. Chile and Argentina remain the major sources of China’s lithium carbonate imports, maintaining strong positions. Although the volume from Chile decreased MoM for four consecutive months, data from Chilean customs showed that the total volume exported to China from Jul to Aug was about 27,900 mt, still at a high level. Considering the shipping cycle, it is expected that China’s lithium carbonate import volume will remain high in Aug.

In terms of exports, due to the much lower production cost of lithium carbonate from overseas salt lakes compared to domestic ore-based production, China's lithium carbonate products do not have a price advantage in the international market, resulting in minimal export share. With no significant improvement in overall overseas demand for lithium carbonate, the export volume from China is expected to remain at a low level going forward.