This week, lithium hydroxide prices showed little change compared to pre-holiday levels. After the holiday, some companies resumed operations as planned. In market transactions, upstream salt factories continued to stand firm on quotes, with a clear stance on maintaining prices for some longer-term agreements. Supported by the high ore costs, quotes did not show significant changes despite the decline in lithium carbonate prices. Downstream ternary cathode material manufacturers, having stockpiled earlier, currently have no significant just-in-time procurement plans. Although there were some inquiries, no consensus was reached with the supply side on discounts and prices, resulting in overall mediocre transaction performance. From February's production schedule, demand side saw a nearly 10% decrease MoM, coupled with expectations of low import and export volumes, leading to a tight balance in supply and demand for the month.
Lithium hydroxide prices are expected to fluctuate within a range in the short term.
