This week, ternary cathode material prices continued to move lower. On the raw material front, nickel sulfate prices traded at low levels with fluctuations, cobalt sulfate offers continued to decline, manganese sulfate prices held steady, while lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide saw relatively notable declines due to capital market volatility. In terms of transaction sentiment, some battery cell manufacturers remained bearish amid significant volatility in raw material prices. With sufficient inventory levels, downstream battery cell manufacturers largely adopted a cautious wait-and-see approach and slowed their pace of offtake, leading to subdued trading activity this week. On the payable front, battery cell manufacturers showed limited acceptance of upward payable adjustments amid lackluster demand growth. Meanwhile, with the upcoming reinstatement of the lithium battery consumption tax, battery cell manufacturers may shift part of their cost pressures upstream, further complicating any upward payable adjustments. On the demand side, ternary battery cell manufacturers in the EV market generally adopt M-1 month pricing for settlements. Given the notable decline in raw material prices in July, battery cell manufacturers have shown strong wait-and-see sentiment. Actual offtake volumes this month are expected to be lower than previously anticipated, suggesting that domestic ternary cathode shipments in July may decline. In the consumer market, while the expected reinstatement of the consumption tax exists, its pull-forward effect on orders has been relatively limited, with demand also weighed down by falling raw material prices.

In the first half of 2026, the price trends of the three major black mass categories diverged significantly. LFP black mass was highly correlated with the spot and futures prices of lithium carbonate. Ternary battery powder, supported by the multi-metal value of nickel, cobalt, and lithium, exhibited a "high-then-low, wide-range oscillation" pattern.

This week, ternary cathode material prices continued their downward trend. On the raw material front, nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate edged lower amid subdued trading activity, while manganese sulfate prices rose slightly. Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide saw notable declines recently, influenced by capital market volatility. In terms of transaction sentiment, some manufacturers restocked at lower price levels last week when lithium salt prices fell sharply, leading to relatively active trading. However, entering this week, raw material prices continued to decline with no clear signs of stabilization. With sufficient inventories on hand, downstream battery cell manufacturers generally turned cautious and slowed their procurement pace, resulting in subdued transaction sentiment this week. On the payable front, influenced by the continued decline in absolute nickel sulfate prices, some ternary cathode manufacturers saw upward adjustments in nickel sulfate payables during settlements. Payables for other metals remained relatively stable. On the demand side, EV market demand remained at high levels recently, with orders being executed as normal, while consumer market demand continued to stay subdued.

LS-L&F Battery Solution (LLBS) announced that it will officially commence commercial production at its precursor plant in Saemangeum, South Korea, in the fourth quarter of 2026. The joint venture is 55%-owned by LS Corp. and 45%-owned by L&F, and has completed construction of a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) precursor facility with an annual production capacity of 40,000 tonnes. Precursors are key intermediate materials used in cathode production, made from metal raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. They account for approximately 70% of cathode manufacturing costs and play a crucial role in determining battery performance and production costs. Meanwhile, LS MnM, another subsidiary of LS Corp., also plans to complete construction and commence operations at its battery materials plant in Onsan, South Korea, later this year. The facility will primarily produce metal sulfates, including nickel sulfate, which serves as a key raw material for ternary battery precursors.

Demand in the EV market remains at historically high levels, though no further near-term growth momentum is visible. The consumer market remains in the traditional off-season, with overall performance relatively flat.

Precision Periodic, a U.S. critical minerals refining company, announced plans to build what it says will be the country's first modular, clean-process refinery for battery-grade nickel, cobalt and manganese in Central Florida. The project is designed to process mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) into battery-grade nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate and manganese sulfate, with a target annual processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes of contained nickel at full production. The company said the project aims to address the shortage of domestic refining capacity for battery-grade nickel, cobalt and manganese in the United States, reduce reliance on overseas refining, and strengthen the security of the critical minerals supply chain. Precision Periodic expects the first modular units to begin production within months of securing a site, with the refinery reaching its full design capacity within 12 to 18 months. The company added that both the construction timeline and capital investment are expected to be significantly lower than those required for conventional refineries.

The EV market shows solid end orders in July, with both domestic and European auto markets continuing to improve, driving battery cell demand to remain at high levels.

This week, lithium carbonate and nickel sulfate prices fluctuated within a range, while cobalt sulfate prices continued to decline. By material type — ternary, LCO, and LFP — the market presented a mixed picture.

SMM June 30 News: News 7: [25k-ton Li-ion Battery Resource-Optimized Cascade Regeneration Project Launched in Huzhou, Zhejiang] Recently, the ecological environment authority released the approval announcement for the new energy LIB resource-optimized cascade regeneration 25,000-ton project. The project involves a total investment of RMB 350 million, located in Meixi Town Lingang Industrial Park, Anji County, Huzhou, Zhejiang. It consists of one cascade utilization line, one waste LIB discharging line, two waste LIB crushing & recycling lines, and two waste electrode sheet crushing & screening lines. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual capacity of 10,000 tons of cascade-utilized waste LIBs, 10,000 tons of crushed & recycled waste LIBs, and 5,000 tons of crushed & screened waste electrode sheets, totaling 25,000 tons per year. News 8: [New Energy Vehicle and Power Battery Recycling Industrialization Project Launched in Yongping, Yunnan] Recently, the local government released the public notice on the acceptance of EIA documents for the new energy vehicle and power battery recycling industrialization project in Dali Prefecture. The project involves a total investment of approx. RMB 125 million, located in Taoxin Area, Yongping Industrial Park, Yunnan. It consists of new energy vehicle charging/swapping and LNG refueling stations, new energy vehicle dismantling and power battery cascade utilization production lines, and new energy vehicle and battery recycling technology R&D center. Upon completion, it will achieve comprehensive production capacity for new energy vehicle dismantling and power battery cascade utilization. News 9: [40k-ton Li-ion Battery Circular Demonstration Production Base Project Launched in Wenzhou, Zhejiang] Recently, the local state-owned capital investment platform, together with the local state-owned assets platform and a national high-tech enterprise, signed a Series B+ equity investment agreement. The total investment of the project is RMB 500 million, located in Wenzhou Haixiang District. It consists of a 40k-ton-level LIB circular demonstration production base. Upon completion and operation, it will fill the gap in Wenzhou's new energy battery carbon cycle recycling industry, and complete the full green chain of battery "production—application—recycling—regeneration". News 10: [20k-ton Waste Li-ion Battery Processing Project Launched in Hanchuan, Hubei] Recently, the development and reform authority released the public notice on the filing of the annual 20,000-ton waste LIB processing project. According to the notice, the project is located in Hanchuan, Hubei. It consists of facilities for annual processing of 20,000 tons of waste LIBs. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual processing capacity of 20,000 tons of waste LIBs. News 11: [55k-ton Waste New Energy Battery Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization Project Launched in Taihe, Anhui] Recently, the local government released the public notice on the draft EIA report for the annual 55,000-ton waste new energy battery recycling and comprehensive utilization project. The project involves a total investment of RMB 1.176 billion, located in the Green New Energy Base of Taihe Economic Development Zone. It is constructed in two phases. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual processing capacity of 55,000 tons of waste new energy batteries. After Phase I, it will produce 1,058.59 tons of lithium carbonate and 6,431.06 tons of iron phosphate per year. After Phase II, it will produce 2,417.5 tons of cascade-utilized batteries, 19,997.40 tons of nickel sulfate, 6,665.80 tons of cobalt sulfate, and 4,223.12 tons of lithium carbonate per year. News 12: [20k-ton Waste New Energy Battery Comprehensive Utilization Project Launched in Taihe, Anhui] Recently, the company launched the first public announcement on EIA for the annual 20,000-ton waste new energy battery comprehensive utilization project. The project involves a total investment of RMB 210 million, located in the New Energy Industrial Park, Xiaokou Town, Taihe County, Fuyang, Anhui. It consists of annual processing of 20,000 tons of waste new energy batteries and supporting sewage treatment and recycling facilities. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual processing capacity of 20,000 tons of waste LIBs (10,000 tons of NCM, 10,000 tons of LFP) and 5,000 tons of cascade utilization per year, yielding 7,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate and 1,000 tons of copper powder per year.

The South Korean government has begun work to establish a system that officially certifies the value of key minerals extracted from waste batteries, such as lithium and nickel, as recycled raw materials. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on June 25 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a pilot project on the battery recycled raw material production certification system at the President Hotel in Seoul, with six waste battery recycling companies and the Korea Environment Corporation participating. Through the pilot project, the government plans to verify the certification method in actual production processes before fully implementing the system in May next year. The battery recycled raw material production certification system is a scheme under which the government officially confirms that key battery materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, produced by recycling waste batteries recovered from electric vehicles and other sources are recycled raw materials derived from waste resources. The certification will cover eight types of materials: lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, manganese sulfate, graphite, mixed metal precipitate and cathode active materials.