SMM

This week, battery-grade lithium hydroxide prices continued to climb. The SMM battery-grade lithium hydroxide index rose from RMB 63,120/t last Friday to RMB 65,670/t. Upstream producers are holding offers firm and withholding spot cargoes, keeping spot discounts elevated. Downstream mills, meanwhile, have revived spot demand; inquiries and purchasing interest have strengthened, with repeated small-lot transactions concluded at higher prices, guiding the market upward. As lithium carbonate prices have recently eased, the carbon-to-hydroxide price spread has narrowed. Sentiment is further supported by steady orders from a few ternary cathode producers, leaving the July balance modestly tight and underpinning the recent price lift.