“Gold’s status as a haven may now be tarnished in the eyes of some as the precious metal is falling in price even as war roils the Middle East and financial markets alike, and some may even be tempted to say that the third major bull run in the commodity since 1971 is now over,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Mar 23, 2026 09:43This week, LCO market prices were basically stable, with mainstream quotations for conventional grades remaining above 400,000 yuan/mt, while high-voltage products held firm at the 420,000 yuan/mt threshold. Affected by the traditional off-season for consumer electronics in Q1 and disruptions in chip supply, battery cell manufacturers currently had relatively sufficient raw material inventory, and purchase willingness declined further WoW. Market transactions were mainly driven by the execution of existing long-term contract and rigid demand, with limited release of new orders. Against the backdrop of rangebound fluctuations in upstream raw materials and downstream demand yet to recover, LCO prices were expected to remain largely stable in the short term, with most market participants adopting a wait-and-see attitude pending further clarity on the subsequent demand pace. Wang Cong 021-51666838 Ma Rui 021-51595780 Feng Disheng 021-51666714 Lv Yanlin 021-20707875 Zhou Zhicheng 021-51666711 Zhang Haohan 021-51666752 Wang Zihan 021-51666914 Wang Jie 021-51595902 Xu Yang 021-51666760 Yang Lianting 021-51595835 Wang Zhaoyu 021-51666827
Mar 19, 2026 17:57[SMM Weekly Review of the Lithium Battery Electrolyte Market: Electrolyte Prices Remained Temporarily Stable This Week (2026.3.16-3.19)] From March 16 to March 19, 2026, electrolyte prices remained temporarily stable. Considering the overall trend in cost-side changes and the supply-demand pattern, electrolyte prices are expected to remain temporarily stable in the short term.
Mar 19, 2026 17:39This week, the cobalt chloride market atmosphere saw no significant change WoW, and the price stalemate continued. Top-tier enterprises remained firm in holding prices, with mainstream quotations still staying above 117,000 yuan/mt, and some offers probing 120,000 yuan/mt. However, downstream procurement sentiment remained cautious, with no signs of improvement. Constrained by weak end-use demand and relatively ample raw material inventory at material plants, market inquiry activity declined, and actual transactions were mainly scattered restocking, with the transaction center holding at 115,000 yuan/mt. Although some small traders occasionally made low-price shipments, this was difficult to materially impact the broader market. Overall, market gaming sentiment persisted, and prices were expected to remain largely stable in the short term, lacking drivers to break the stalemate. SMM New Energy Research Team Wang Cong 021-51666838 Ma Rui 021-51595780 Feng Disheng 021-51666714 Lv Yanlin 021-20707875 Zhou Zhicheng 021-51666711
Mar 19, 2026 17:57Raw material side, spot lithium carbonate prices fluctuated this week, cobalt sulphate prices remained temporarily stable, and nickel sulphate prices dropped slightly.
Mar 19, 2026 19:12This week, the second-life battery market showed clear structural divergence. On the cost side, although lithium carbonate prices saw a temporary uptick this week, they trended downward overall; nickel sulphate prices edged down slightly, while cobalt sulphate prices remained stable. The cost side was mainly affected by fluctuations in lithium carbonate prices. On the supply side, driven by terminal energy storage demand, inventories of new battery cells at battery cell manufacturers were critically low, and the supply of Grade A battery cells was heavily diverted, causing supply in the second-life battery market to remain tight. On the demand side, 280Ah and 314Ah energy storage battery cells were subject to concentrated procurement in the market, resulting in severe shortages and noticeably rising prices. Meanwhile, demand in the EV sector remained weak, inventory was relatively sufficient, and second-life power battery cell prices stayed stable.
Mar 19, 2026 16:40Dear User, Currently, lithium carbonate prices are experiencing significant fluctuations, leading to markedly increased cost volatility for lithium metal, for which lithium carbonate serves as the primary raw material. To more promptly and accurately reflect market conditions for lithium metal, SMM plans to increase the publication frequency of prices for both industrial-grade lithium metal and battery-grade lithium metal from weekly updates to daily updates . The updates will be released at 12:00 PM Beijing Time on each working day for market reference: 1. Battery-grade lithium metal, Specification: Li≥99.9% 2. Industrial-grade lithium metal, Specification: Li≥99% We welcome more relevant enterprises across the industry chain to participate and support SMM in better serving new energy industry chain-related companies. Wang Cong 021-51666838 wangcong@smm.cn Feng Disheng 021-51666714 fengdisheng@smm.cn Wang Zihan 021-51666914 wangzihan@smm.cn Zhang Jing 021-51666878 faithzhang@smm.cn SMM New Energy Research Team January 8, 2026
PriceJan 8, 2026 16:47To Our Valued Users, Hello! As a key intermediate product in the lithium industry chain, lithium sulfate serves as a primary raw material for producing core lithium salts such as battery-grade lithium carbonate and battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Its supply and pricing directly impact the cost of downstream lithium battery materials and overall market operations. Currently, the lithium sulfate market lacks open and transparent representative price benchmarks, with international trade and procurement pricing largely reliant on bilateral negotiations, leading to issues such as information asymmetry and delays in price transmission. With lithium sulfate production from relevant African lithium producers, represented by the Zimbabwe region, commencing and gradually entering the market, SMM has developed and is now launching the "Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China) Price" to promote the standardization and transparency of African lithium sulfate pricing and enhance the efficiency of industrial chain collaboration. This initiative aims to objectively reflect the market conditions of African lithium sulfate arriving at major Chinese ports, providing a reliable price benchmark for producers, traders, downstream enterprises, and financial institutions, thereby supporting the standardized development and price discovery of the global lithium resource market. Release time:2026.Jan.22 The price will be updated every business day at 12:00 Beijing Time for market reference. Product Name: Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China) Quality Standard: Li₂SO₄·H₂O content ≥ 80% Definition: CIF major Chinese ports Unit: USD/ton Minimum Transaction Volume: 60 tons Delivery Period: 2 months Release Time: Every business day at 12:00 Beijing Time Payment Terms: Letter of Credit (L/C), Telegraphic Transfer (T/T), or Documents Against Payment (D/P). Other payment terms are subject to negotiation. We welcome more relevant enterprises across the industrial chain to participate and support SMM in better serving the new energy industry. Shirley Wang 021-51666838 wangcong@smm.cn Thomas Feng 021-51666714 fengdisheng@smm.cn Sylvia Wang 021-51666914 wangzihan@smm.cn Jessica Wang 021-51595902 wangjie@smm.cn Faith Zhang 021-51666878 faithzhang@smm.cn Shanghai Metals Market New Energy Research Team January 20, 2026
PriceJan 20, 2026 18:48Dear User, As a key intermediate product in the lithium industry chain, lithium sulfate serves as a primary raw material for producing core lithium chemicals such as battery-grade lithium carbonate and battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Its supply and price influence the costs of downstream lithium battery materials and market operations. Currently, the lithium sulfate market lacks open and transparent representative price references. International trade and procurement pricing largely rely on bilateral negotiations, leading to issues such as information asymmetry and delayed price transmission. With lithium sulfate production from African lithium producers, represented by the Zimbabwe region, commencing and gradually entering the market, SMM has compiled and launched the " Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China) Price " to promote standardized and transparent pricing for African lithium sulfate and enhance the efficiency of the industry chain. This price aims to objectively reflect the market conditions of African lithium sulfate arriving at main Chinese ports. It will provide a reliable price benchmark for producers, traders, downstream enterprises, and financial institutions, supporting the standardized development and price discovery of the global lithium resources market. SMM's "Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China)" was officially launched today (January 21, 2026) . Details are as follows: Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China), Specification: Li₂SO₄·H₂O content ≥80% Product Name: Africa Lithium Sulfate (CIF China) Quality Standard: Li₂SO₄·H₂O content ≥80% Definition: CIF main Chinese ports Unit: $/mt Minimum Trading Volume: 60 mt Delivery Period: 2 months Release Time: Weekdays, 12:00 Beijing Time Payment Terms: Letter of credit, telegraphic transfer, or documents against payment other payment terms require separate negotiation. Welcome more relevant enterprises in the industry chain to participate and support SMM in better serving new energy industry chain enterprises. Shirley Wang 021-5166-6838 wangcong@smm.cn Thomas Feng 021-5166-6714 fengdisheng@smm.cn Sylvia Wang 021-5166-6914 wangzihan@smm.cn Jessica Wang 021-5159-5902 wangjie@smm.cn Faith Zhang 021-5166-6878 faithzhang@smm.cn Shanghai Metals Market New Energy Research Team January 21, 2026
PriceJan 21, 2026 15:19