From an economics perspective of supply / demand I just don't...

From an economics perspective of supply / demand I just don't see how they could be manipulating it to the extent that's primarily responsible for the falling lithium price and not supply / demand dynamic.

Contract price usually lags the Chinese spot price -- and so yes -- china has the ability to play games with the spot price by non-arms length transactions, and restocking / destocking in schemed mannerisms. But if there was genuinely an undersupply then at the end of the day buyers of lithium would have to compete against others for that lithium and the only way to do that is to offer more clams (money). That just genuinely isn't happening... Excuse of manipulation as the primary cause of lithium price falling is a cowards excuse.