Good News & Bad News, page-22159

Platts assessed battery grade lithium carbonate at Yuan 485,000/mt on Jan. 13, on a delivered, duty-paid China basis, down Yuan 5,000/mt on the day, and down Yuan 10,000/mt on the week.

Prices edged lower in the week to Jan. 13, as market liquidity thinned, with participants heading for an early Lunar New Year break.
"The market is slowing down now, market participants have began to go on holiday and logistics is starting to wind down," said a Chinese producer.
"Seems like buying interest is low, as nobody wants to stock up when prices are dropping and future orders looks bleak," the producer added.
"Prices are on a decline and will probably continue to fall as we approach Lunar New Year. Majority of the market is on lull now and it will be hard to find a buyer much less a competitive bid," a Chinese trader said expecting market activity to only return post the Lunar New Year.
Offers for battery-grade lithium carbonate in the domestic market were indicated at around Yuan 490,000/mt on Jan. 13, with the tradable values heard lower at around Yuan 480,000/mt.
Market participants shared a muted outlook for the first half of 2023, with the removal of EV subsidies and weaker macroeconomic outlook likely to dampen lithium's momentum, but remained positive on the long-term outlook, expecting EV car sales to continue to grow from a year ago.
Platts assessed battery grade lithium hydroxide at Yuan 495,000/mt on Jan. 13, on a delivered, duty-paid China basis, down Yuan 5,000/mt on the day, and down Yuan 10,000/mt on the week.
Tradable values of battery-grade lithium hydroxide inched lower and market participants generally pegged prices between Yuan 490,000-500,000/mt in the week to Jan. 13.
“Lithium hydroxide have faired slightly better than lithium carbonate but prices has also begin to fall as seaborne prices started to soften,” said a Chinese producer.
"Battery grade lithium hydroxide prices are slightly higher than carbonate but expect prices to be volatile in 2023 too," a Chinese producer said.
Platts assessed spodumene concentrate with 6% lithium oxide content (SC6) at $6,000/mt FOB Australia on Jan. 13, with prices steady on the week.
Tradable values were indicated at $5,500-$6,000/mt on a FOB Australia basis in the week to Jan. 13.
"I see spodumene prices largely stable despite the fall in salt prices, there isn't much other alternatives for supply now,” said a trader source based in China.