According to SMM data, China’s lithium-hydroxide output in August fell 13 % month on month and 31 % year on year. The decline came from two sources:
1. Smelting side: a leading producer carried out a mid-month line overhaul that cut output by roughly 12 % versus July.
2. Causticization side: although some plants posted sizeable increases thanks to strong mid-month orders, these gains were not enough to offset scheduled maintenance at others, so the segment still recorded a marked drop.
Looking ahead to September, as refiners that were idled in August restart and a few others tweak their schedules to match firm orders, lithium-hydroxide production is expected to rebound 12 % m-o-m, yet remain 21 % below the same month last year.
