Around July 20, 2026, import and export data for cobalt and lithium battery industry chain products in June were released in a concentrated manner. The data showed that China’s spodumene imports reached 768,000 mt in physical content, up 13% MoM and surging 33% YoY, equivalent to about 72,000 mt of LCE; for lithium carbonate, China imported 25,861 mt in June, down 31% MoM and up 46% YoY. From January to June, China’s cumulative lithium carbonate imports totaled 179,000 mt, up 52% YoY on a cumulative basis...... SMM compiled the import and export situation of battery materials in H1, as follows:
Upstream
Lithium Concentrates
In June 2026, China’s spodumene imports reached 768,000 mt in physical content, up 13% MoM and surging 33% YoY, equivalent to about 72,000 mt of LCE. By source country: the effect of concentrated shipments at Australia’s fiscal year-end became evident, with June port arrivals exceeding 370,000 mt, up 12% MoM. Mali: port arrivals rose significantly MoM to 60,000 mt. South Africa and Nigeria maintained stable shipments, with port arrivals both staying above 110,000 mt. Among them, Nigeria saw an increase in the share of high-grade ore, with concentrates accounting for more than 65%. Zimbabwe was previously affected by transportation efficiency; June port arrivals were 42,000 mt, showing a MoM pullback. Based on SMM data screening, the overall LCE equivalent of ore arrivals in June was 72,000 mt. Notably, the share of lithium concentrates in total ore arrivals fell to 72% in the month, down MoM, mainly because most of the 65,000 mt of arrivals from Brazil were lithium raw ore fines from earlier deals, dragging down the overall share of concentrates.
In June 2026, China’s total imports of lithium raw materials (spodumene + lithium sulfate), converted to LCE, approached 80,000 mt and stayed high, providing a solid raw material base for the continued climb in China’s lithium chemicals production.
Spodumene:Import volumes continued to rise, with a notable contribution from the push for annual target at Australia’s fiscal year-end
In June, China’s spodumene imports reached 768,000 mt in physical content, up 13% MoM and up 33% YoY, equivalent to about 72,000 mt of LCE. The import scale remained on a high and rising trend for several consecutive months, reflecting that rigid demand from domestic lithium chemical plants for upstream ore remained strong.
Source: China Customs, compiled by SMM
From the grade structure perspective, based on SMM data screening, the share of lithium concentrates in total ore arrivals in June fell to 72%, showing a MoM decline. The main drag came from Brazil—June port arrivals from Brazil were 65,000 mt, most of which were lithium raw ore fines from earlier deals; the concentrated arrivals of such low-grade minerals directly pulled down the overall share of concentrates.
Beyond spodumene, the import performance of another lithium raw material—lithium sulfate—also warrants attention. In June, China’s lithium sulfate imports reached 13,500 mt, up 12% MoM, equivalent to over 7,700 mt of LCE. By source, Chile continued to dominate the supply landscape with 13,400 mt, while imports from Zimbabwe quietly rose to the hundred-mt level. Although the absolute volume remains small for now, this marks the country’s first bulk shipment of lithium sulfate to China, signaling an early indicator of a potential normalization and ramp-up in its future supply.
Summary: Raw material support was firm in June, but expectations of tighter available supply are rising for July.
In aggregate terms, combined imports of spodumene and lithium sulfate in June approached 80,000 mt of LCE equivalent, supplemented by roughly over 30,000 mt of domestically produced lithium concentrates, bringing total domestic lithium raw material supply to over 110,000 mt of LCE. This provided ample and relatively stable raw material support for the high-level production of lithium chemicals in June.
Beneath the relatively optimistic headline figures, however, a key variable stands out: most of the cargo arriving in June had its destination locked in through orders placed weeks or even months earlier, leaving only a low proportion of material entering traders’ freely available inventory. The persistence of this pre-locked structure means that as we move into July, the amount of available spot lithium ore on the market will remain tight. If the downstream pace of just-in-time procurement holds steady, the tightening of available supply will constrain lithium chemical plants’ flexibility in securing feedstocks to some extent, thus limiting the room for further production increases in July—an effect already visible in recent SMM weekly lithium carbonate production data.
In terms of spot prices for spodumene concentrates (CIF China), SMM data showed they trended downward overall in June. As of June 30, the average spot price for spodumene concentrates (CIF China) was $2,260/mt, a drop of $328/mt from $2,588/mt at the start of the month, a decline of 12.67%.
According to SMM, enterprises that externally purchase spodumene to produce lithium suffered deep spot profit losses in June, with losses widening over the month. The core reason was that while spodumene concentrate prices followed the pullback in lithium carbonate, the extent of the correction was limited. In June, the decline in spodumene concentrate prices lagged that of lithium chemicals, deepening losses in the processing segment. Externally Purchased Lepidolite In June, the immediate margins of lepidolite-based lithium extractors narrowed from May, though they remained in positive territory for the full month. The resumption of production at a leading mine in Jiangxi reinforced market expectations of future ore supply release, triggering a single-day 6.58% plunge in lithium carbonate futures. Coupled with the extreme “plunge-weak rebound-drop again” volatility in the lithium carbonate market during the fourth week of June, this further compressed margins for enterprises reliant on externally purchased ore.
Lithium Carbonate
Customs data shows that China imported 25,861 mt of lithium carbonate in June, down 31% MoM but up 46% YoY. Among the source countries, imports from Chile reached 16,037 mt (62% of the total), Argentina followed with 8,403 mt (32%), and Indonesia accounted for 500 mt (2%). For January-June, cumulative lithium carbonate imports hit 179,000 mt, a 52% YoY increase.
In May, China exported 261 mt of lithium carbonate, up 30% MoM but down 39% YoY. Cumulative exports for January-June reached 2,348 mt, a 5.6% YoY decline.
SMM spot price data indicated that lithium carbonate spot prices generally drifted lower in June. As of June 30, the spot price of battery-grade lithium carbonate fell to 156,500 yuan/mt, a drop of 22,500 yuan/mt from 179,000 yuan/mt at the beginning of June, translating to a decline of 12.57%.
SMM noted that China’s spot price center for lithium carbonate consolidated lower in June. From a fundamental perspective, on the supply side, news of a Jiangxi mine license renewal continued to unsettle the market, while China’s May lithium carbonate imports hit a historical high, and GFEX warrants remained elevated at around 50,000 mt. On the demand side, growth expectations were already priced in by the market, leading to a price drift lower. Upstream lithium chemical plants showed weak willingness to sell spot orders, maintaining a stance of holding prices firm and holding back from selling; downstream material plants and battery cell manufacturers adopted a dip-buying strategy, purchasing stockpiles aggressively below the 160,000 yuan/mt level.
As of July 23, the spot price of battery-grade lithium carbonate rose by 3,500 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, reaching 142,000-151,000 yuan/mt with a daily average of 146,500 yuan/mt.
Lithium Hydroxide
Customs data indicates that China imported 4,400 mt of lithium hydroxide in June 2026, a 12% MoM increase and a nearly 2x YoY surge. By source country, imports from South Korea accounted for 1,159 mt, making up 26% of the total, while imports from Chile came in second at 993 mt. Notably, imports from Indonesia remained persistently low at just 774 mt in June.
On the export side, China's lithium hydroxide exports in June reached 6,018 mt, up 70% MoM, mainly driven by concentrated end-of-quarter shipments and a mild recovery in overseas demand. Of this, exports to South Korea stood at 5,032 mt and to Japan at 679 mt.
Overall, exports significantly exceeded imports during the month, and China's lithium hydroxide trade temporarily returned to a net export position after a gap of several months.
Battery Materials
LiPF6
According to China Customs data, in June 2026, China's cumulative LiPF6 exports totaled approximately 1,104.4 mt, down about 26.4% MoM, while cumulative imports amounted to about 24.4 mt.
On the export side, China's LiPF6 exports in June 2026 were roughly 1,104.4 mt, down about 26.4% MoM from May and down about 21.4% YoY. In detail, the main export destinations in June were South Korea, Poland, Malaysia, Japan, and others, with exports to Poland at 336.8 mt (down about 25.47% MoM), South Korea at 319.738 mt (down about 45.9% MoM), Malaysia at 113.211 mt (down about 28.03% MoM), the US at 157.601 mt (up about 103.62% MoM), and Japan at 115.56 mt (up about 5.2% MoM). Overall, overseas procurement volume for LiPF6 edged down slightly in June.
Artificial Graphite
In June 2026, China's artificial graphite imports stood at 1,002 mt, up 2.3% MoM and up 3.3% YoY. In terms of average import price, China's artificial graphite import price averaged 59,596 yuan/mt in June 2026, down 0.9% MoM and up 16.6% YoY.
Data source: China Customs, SMM
In June 2026, China's artificial graphite exports were 41,601 mt, down 16.9% MoM and down 18.7% YoY. As for average export price, China's artificial graphite export price averaged 9,080 yuan/mt in June 2026, up 17.5% MoM and up 13.9% YoY.
Import volumes and prices fluctuated relatively mildly, with overall steady performance. Exports, however, showed a diverging pattern of "lower volumes, higher prices": the decline in export volumes was likely linked to a high base in May and adjustments in overseas phased procurement pace, while the rise in export prices was mainly driven by persistently high domestic costs. Notably, despite the drop in overall export volumes, shipments from the major export provinces for lithium battery-grade artificial graphite showed a recovery trend—one province saw its export volume surge by roughly 50% MoM, while another recorded a gain approaching 25% MoM.
Flake Graphite
In June 2026, China’s flake graphite imports were 4,147 mt, down 30% MoM and down 12% YoY.
Source: China Customs, SMM
In June 2026, China’s flake graphite exports were 5,089 mt, down 33% MoM and down 5% YoY.
Both flake graphite imports and exports fell significantly MoM in June, mainly due to a high base effect from May and seasonal demand adjustments in and outside China, while the YoY declines remained mild.
Phosphoric Acid
According to China Customs data, China’s phosphoric acid exports showed a clear retreat after a rapid rise in Q2 2026. Exports surged to 40,200 mt in May before pulling back to 29,500 mt in June, down 26.5% MoM. However, they still posted positive YoY growth compared to June last year (up 3,500 mt), as sustained rigid demand from new energy sectors outside China offset the short-term pace-driven pullback. Shaped by full-year policy cycles and industry fundamentals, China’s phosphoric acid trade is now characterized byzero imports, pure exports, policy-induced volatility, and ongoing structural upgrades. Annual exports are influenced by both the agricultural input supply guarantee policy and the off-season and peak-season cycles in and outside China, resulting in a pattern of regular consolidation.
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Based on the H1 pace and considering the current policy cycle, overseas demand rhythm, and domestic spot fundamentals, the phosphoric acid industry will remain within the window of phosphate fertiliser export controls in July–August H2 2026. Foreign sales of agricultural-grade crude phosphoric acid will be restricted, capping overall export volumes at a natural ceiling. Supported by off-season restocking demand from overseas food and energy storage enterprises, phosphoric acid exports are expected to modestly recover from the June low, moving back above the central level of 30,000 mt per month. This will partly cushion the pressure from domestic agricultural off-season inventory buildup and strengthen the market floor with external demand resilience. On the spot side, domestic agricultural off-season demand will be weak, but with raw material costs of sulfur and phosphate ore remaining high, small and medium-sized wet-process phosphoric acid plants will continue to suffer losses and run at low utilisation rates. Enterprises will generally control production to support prices, leaving the wet-process phosphoric acid market in a stagnant consolidation pattern—soft but with no room for a deep trend decline.
From September to December, the industry’s fundamentals and foreign trade landscape will improve notably. The phosphate fertiliser export control policy officially expires on August 31. Together with concentrated Q4 restocking for overseas agricultural inputs, year-end capacity ramp-ups by domestic LFP enterprises, and staggered delivery of overseas lithium battery long-term contracts, phosphoric acid exports will enter the peak season of the year. Monthly export volumes are expected to exceed 40,000 mt and hit a new annual high, while the industry’s overall export volume and trade surplus will rise in tandem. Soaring demand from both domestic and international markets is expected to drive the industry towards an inflection point and an upward trend. Not only is demand for wet process phosphoric acid continuing to recover, but thermal process phosphoric acid will also benefit from concentrated stockpiling in the food and electronic fine chemical sectors, strengthening in tandem and ushering in a peak season where both wet and thermal processes boom.
Phosphate Ore
In H1 2026 (January-June), China's phosphate ore imports reached 998,200 mt, a YoY increase of 29.66%; exports were 133,900 mt, a YoY increase of 225.91%; net imports stood at 864,300 mt.
Four Major Core Changes
1. Imports rebounded to high levels last seen in 2024 . H1 2026 imports of 998,200 mt grew 29.66% from 769,800 mt in H1 2025, recovering to the 986,600 mt level recorded in H1 2024. The monthly peak for the first half was 243,900 mt in January 2026, with secondary highs of 206,600 mt in April and 182,100 mt in March. The import side has significantly rebounded from the trough of H1 2025 (769,800 mt), confirming that a high-import norm has been established since 2024.
2. Exports tripled, hitting a near four-year high . H1 2026 exports of 133,900 mt surged 225.91% from 41,100 mt in H1 2025, marking the highest level since H1 2023 (191,300 mt). A Q2 volume surge structure formed with 50,900 mt in June, 32,200 mt in May, and 11,100 mt in April, which highly coincides with the event window of Egypt announcing a halt to signing new phosphate ore export contracts on May 13 (pivoting towards exports of higher value-added phosphate fertiliser).
3. Net imports remain high but narrowed . H1 2026 net imports of 864,300 mt were notably higher than both the 942,800 mt in H1 2024 (historical peak) and 728,700 mt in H1 2025, reflecting a persistent supply gap for domestic phosphate ore and a continued high level of import dependency.
4. The traditional H1 and H2 seasonal pattern has been broken. In previous years, H1 imports were typically lower than H2 imports (cumulative H2 imports from 2020 to 2025 totalled 2.7531 million mt, significantly higher than the cumulative H1 total). However, H1 2026 imports of 998,200 mt are already approaching the 949,900 mt of H2 2025 — the traditional pattern, where the peak season for winter stockpiling was deferred to Q3-Q4, has been broken, with the import pace becoming more year-round.
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H2 Outlook:
Imports: H1 imports have already reached 998,200 mt. In H2, driven by winter stockpiling procurement and LFP cathode material stockpiling (in preparation for the Q3-Q4 NEV peak season), H2 2026 imports are expected to be 1.1-1.3 million mt, bringing full-year imports to 2.1-2.3 million mt, a YoY increase of 15%-25%. This would set a new record high since 2023.
Exports: June alone saw an acceleration to 50,900 mt, and exports are expected to reach 100,000-200,000 mt in July-September. With Q4 driven by overseas demand (India, Southeast Asia, Brazil) and a reshuffling of export competition among Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, full-year exports are estimated at 200,000-300,000 mt, up 200%-300% YoY.
Net Imports: Net imports in 2026 are forecast at 1.7-2 million mt, still at historically high levels, reflecting that the undersupply of domestic phosphate ore cannot be fundamentally resolved in the medium term, with dependency on overseas sources (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Peru, Algeria) continuing to rise.
Sulphur & Sulphuric Acid
China's Monthly Sulphur Imports Change (2025 H1 vs. 2026 H1)
China's sulphur imports in H1 2026 exhibited a trend of "accelerating monthly contraction." Cumulative imports from January to June were approximately 2.26 million mt, down sharply by 57.7% from the 5.34 million mt in the same period of 2025, with average monthly imports plunging from around 800,000 mt in 2025 to roughly
380,000 mt. On a monthly trend, imports were sustained around 500,000 mt per month in Q1 (496,000/538,000/516,000 mt); beginning in April, a precipitous drop occurred, with April falling to 296,000 mt and May to 268,000 mt, while June touched 147,000 mt (down 85.1% YoY)—meaning June imports alone shrank to less than one-fifth of the 988,000 mt recorded in the same month of 2025.
Historically, full-year 2025 imports totaled around 9.61 million mt, averaging about 800,000 mt per month and remaining stable, whereas the 147,000 mt in June 2026 marks a rare low in recent years. If geopolitical conflicts and Kazakhstan's export ban persist, H2 imports could face further pressure, with the full-year total expected to be only about 40% of 2025's volume.
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Sulphur Imports: Volume Plunge and Source Realignment—H1 2026 imports were about 2.26 million mt, down 57.7% YoY (June down 85% YoY); the share accounted for by the four Middle Eastern countries was halved (from ~35% to ~20%), while South Korea, Oman, and Canada filled the gap (combined ~58%).
Sulphuric Acid Exports: Ban-Induced Clearance—H1 2026 exports were around 780,000 mt, down 64% YoY; June exports were only about 980 mt, down 99.7% YoY, marking a precipitous exit from the global market; Indonesia became the top destination.
Common logic: the dual effect of geopolitical conflicts & export controls, China is shifting from a global sulfur hub to self-preserving contraction.
Cobalt Side
Cobalt Hydrometallurgy Intermediate Products
In June 2026, China's imports of cobalt hydrometallurgy intermediate products were approximately 10,961 mt in physical content, up 324% MoM and down 42% YoY, of which imports from DRC were approximately 10,815 mt in physical content, up 423% MoM and down 43% YoY. The average import price of cobalt hydrometallurgy intermediate products in June 2026 was $16,352/mt in physical content, down 1.54% MoM. Of this month's intermediate product imports, approximately 7,561 mt in physical content entered Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces via Entrepot Trade by Customs Special Control Area, accounting for 69% of total imports; Ordinary Trade accounted for about 2,849 mt in physical content, or 26%; Processing Trade with Imported Materials accounted for about 550 mt in physical content, or 5%.
Unwrought Cobalt
In June 2026, China's imports of unwrought cobalt stood at about 1,120 mt, up 66% MoM and up 105% YoY. By country, the top three sources of refined cobalt imports were Indonesia, Russia, and Madagascar, with imports of 476 mt, 293 mt, and 148 mt, respectively. In June, although China's refined cobalt price pulled back significantly and the import-export window remained completely closed, overseas traders still opted to ship refined cobalt to China due to weak overseas demand for refined cobalt, leading to a substantial increase in China's imports. The average import price of unwrought cobalt in June 2026 was $52,228/mt, down 4.27% MoM. In January-June 2026, cumulative imports reached 7,709 mt, up 118% YoY.
Exports side, in June 2026, China's exports of unwrought cobalt were about 503 mt, up 36% MoM but down 46% YoY. By country, the top three export destinations were the US, Taiwan, China, and the Netherlands, with exports of 132 mt, 125 mt, and 66 mt, respectively. The average export price of unwrought cobalt in June 2026 was $59,579/mt, up 11.56% MoM. In January-June 2026, cumulative exports totaled 2,664 mt, down 76% YoY.
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