General Discussion Topics, page-142128

I'm pretty sure you need to do more research there @Megafauna

Some of Arcadium's Carbonate is Technical grade and particularly the operations acquired through Allkem's Orocobre's Olaroz asset, where further refinement to Lithium Hydroxide is done in Japan at their Naraha Plant in a JV with ToyotaTusho. The Sal De Vida asset is (nameplate of 45Ktpa) is predominant battergy grade. The Livent Fenix asset produces mostly (all?) battery grade carbonate.

I think you're confusing the issue .... the refineries in China and Japan are producing Hydroxide (from technical grade carbonate) for existing Arcadium customers. With SDV coming online, a lot more BG Carbonate (from Brines) becomes available for Arcadium. I was a shareholder of Livent and Allkem ... and obviously now Arcadium ... so I probably pay a lot more attention to them than you may. Same with Albermarle.

So, IMO, then is no shortage of Carbonate that could be brought into SA ... free of the Chinese. There's also large amounts of Carbonates later in the decade from clays (LAC - Thacker Pass) and from oilfield brines.

If you think SYA (or LU7) has some advantage in the market then why hasn't it been exploited?