According to the monitoring of the commodity market analysis system of Business Society, the prices of industrial grade lithium carbonate and battery grade lithium carbonate have remained stable and slightly decreased this week. On April 25, 2024, the average domestic mixed price of industrial grade lithium carbonate was 108400 yuan/ton, a decrease of 0.55% compared to the average price of 109000 yuan/ton on April 21. On April 25th, the average domestic mixed price of battery grade lithium carbonate was 115400 yuan/ton, a decrease of 0.35% compared to the average price of 115800 yuan/ton on April 21st.

By observing market changes, it can be seen that the price of lithium carbonate has remained stable this week, with only a slight decrease. In terms of supply, according to customs data, the import of domestic lithium carbonate in March was about 19043 tons, a month on month increase of about 64%, reflecting a more significant growth rate in the import supply of domestic lithium carbonate. With the rise of domestic temperatures, the mining and production of lithium salts have been relatively smooth. Apart from long-term cooperative orders, lithium salt enterprises have continued to maintain a positive attitude towards selling individual orders, and the price of individual orders has not changed significantly.

In terms of demand, downstream enterprises such as positive electrodes have already purchased and supplemented lithium carbonate sources due to the lower prices in the early stage. However, after the price of selling sources in the current market has increased, trading enterprises have no intention of purchasing with the increase. However, most enterprises have completed the stocking during the May Day period, and currently have no urgent purchasing ideas. They are generally waiting for lower or more favorable prices in the future market before proceeding with essential purchases, resulting in a relatively light overall situation of individual transactions in the market.

The market situation of lithium hydroxide is mixed, and recently, due to the decline in lithium carbonate prices, some smelting end enterprises have been driven by the resonance of their emotions and cost factors, resulting in a decline in high prices. At present, the inventory level of the lithium hydroxide industry is relatively low, and smelting enterprises are generally hoarding and reluctant to sell, with a strong sentiment of price support. At present, the demand for high nickel in the downstream is steadily increasing. Due to the upcoming May Day holiday, the market will have transportation restrictions for nearly a week, which to some extent has caused some downstream positive electrode enterprises to stage pre holiday stocking, leading to an increase in demand for essential goods.

The downstream price of lithium iron phosphate is operating steadily. Due to the recent multidimensional stability of raw material prices of iron phosphate and lithium carbonate, the price of lithium iron phosphate is temporarily stable. However, the discount for purchasing lithium iron phosphate from downstream leading battery manufacturers is still relatively low, and positive electrode factories are more inclined to hope for customer supply. In addition, the export volume of lithium iron phosphate has increased, and the market demand support is relatively favorable.

In terms of futures, the price of lithium carbonate futures first rose and then fell, but the price has not yet moved out of the volatile range. On April 25th, the opening price of the LC2407 main contract was 110500 yuan/ton, the closing price was 109600 yuan/ton, and the highest price was 112650 yuan/ton, with a daily decline of 0.86%. The transaction volume was 158100 lots and the position was 176148 lots.

According to analysts from Shengyishe Lithium Carbonate, based on the current supply and demand situation, some lithium salt companies still have a strong attitude towards individual orders and price increases. However, the procurement of raw material reserves during the May Day holiday in the downstream market has also been basically completed, resulting in a slight decline in the overall transaction price center of the spot market. There is no urgent purchasing intention in the market, and it is expected that the spot price of lithium carbonate will remain stable in the short term, while observing changes in demand.