SHANGHAI, Sep 5 (SMM) - The prices of lithium carbonate rose slightly last week. The supply in Sichuan began to recover after the power rationing was lifted, but the overall supply remained tight as the production in Chengdu was hindered by the pandemic while the transportation in Qinghai was disrupted for the same reason. The orders for the four major cathode materials rose, and demand in the electronics market improved slightly. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has established a linkage price monitoring mechanism for key raw materials, aiming to stabilise the prices of key commodities, such as lithium carbonate and rare earth.
The prices of lithium hydroxide also inched higher last week. Major lithium hydroxide smelters gave priority to the delivery of long-term orders after their production began to recover from the power rationing, with few cargoes available for sale in the spot market. Centralised transactions at month-end and robust demand from power battery makers encouraged high-nickel NMC material plants to extend their production schedules. Lithium hydroxide prices are expected to continue to rise following lithium carbonate prices.
