In May 2026, China imported 131,000 mt of phosphate ore, down 36.4% from April, with the average price easing 2.6% to $93/mt.

【Phosphorus Chemicals: Wengfu Raises Wet-Process 85% Phosphoric Acid Price by RMB 500 to RMB 12,100/ton】 On June 15, 2026, according to SMM, Wengfu increased its ex-factory price for wet-process 85% phosphoric acid by RMB 500 to RMB 12,100/ton. Driven by sharp fluctuations in sulfur prices, this hike is intended to ease tight supply pressures and curb downstream demand. A total of 800,000 tonnes of capacity at the Dazhou and Shanghang bases remain offline. Outlook: Significant geopolitical influences are expected to keep prices volatile in the short term. The rise in phosphoric acid prices further pushes up production costs for iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate (LFP).

Recently, the People's Government of Daying County released a public notice for the environmental impact assessment approval application for the annual 50,000-ton iron phosphate project of Sichuan Qianyuan Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. The project is located at No. 222, Pengyan Avenue, Penglai Town, Daying County, Suining City, Sichuan Province, and is classified as an expansion and renovation project. The company currently has an existing annual 30,000-ton battery-grade iron phosphate project with complete relevant approvals and a stable operating status. This expansion will utilize the company's reserved land within the existing plant site to construct new production workshops, warehousing, a boiler room, and other supporting facilities, while also renovating existing workshops. Upon completion, the company's total annual iron phosphate production capacity will reach 80,000 tons.

On June 3, the Yichang Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment issued a public notice soliciting comments on the draft environmental impact report for the 300,000-ton waste lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery recycling project of Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. This project is an expansion, with a total investment of 1,065.5119 million yuan. Upon completion, the project will have an annual processing capacity of 300,000 tons of waste LFP battery packs, including waste LFP power battery packs, battery modules, battery cells, battery powder, electrode sheet powder, and related materials.

After both sodium-ion battery cathodes and hard carbon anodes recorded significant increases YoY and MoM in May, the midstream and downstream segments of the industry chain—electrolytes and battery cells—also delivered impressive results, yet structural issues lurk beneath the growth.

In May, key materials for sodium-ion batteries sustained their strong momentum, with both cathode and hard carbon anode recording sharp YoY and MoM growth. Top-tier players’ order books were full and capacity utilization rates approached their limits. On the supply side, the pattern of rising volumes and stable prices was pronounced, yet pressure to pass on rising raw material costs was also building.