According to the commodity market analysis system of Shengyi Society, lithium carbonate has recently opened an upward channel. As of April 21, the benchmark price of Shengyi Society’s battery grade lithium carbonate is 170000 yuan/ton, up 13.33% month on month and 143% year-on-year. This round of price increases is not driven by a single factor, but by the contraction expectations caused by multiple disturbances on the supply side, and the positive support formed by the continuous recovery of the demand side. The resonance between the two is an inevitable result, and the industry’s supply and demand pattern is gradually evolving towards a tighter direction, providing a solid foundation for price increases.
Supply side: Multiple potential risks overlap, continuously strengthening market expectations of supply contraction
Zimbabwe: The export ban that lasted for nearly two months has led to a delay in supply. Although several domestic companies have obtained 6-month export quota approvals issued by the country since mid April, the resumption of exports is not achieved overnight. Companies still need to complete a series of export procedures, and the backlog of lithium concentrate cannot be shipped at once. The market expects that the large-scale arrival of lithium concentrate at the port will be delayed until after July. In this context, market concerns about the tight supply of lithium mines in May and June continue to rise, and the act of reserving lithium mines in advance further exacerbates the short-term circulation tension, leading to a decrease in port lithium concentrate inventory and lower processing fees for spodumene lithium extraction.
Australia: Recently, one of the only two refineries in Victoria, Australia, caught fire. Although it did not directly affect diesel production, concerns about the shortage of diesel supply in Australia continue to escalate in the context of unstable global energy supply chains. Diesel, as a key energy source in lithium mining and transportation, its supply shortage may directly affect local lithium mining production and operation. Although there is currently no clear news of lithium mining project adjustment and operation, this potential supply contraction expectation has continued to strengthen. The subsequent passage of the Strait of Hormuz and the progress of replenishing Australian diesel inventories will become key variables affecting overseas lithium mining supply.
Domestically, the structural contraction of lithium ore supply has further amplified the tense situation on the supply side. As the core production area of lithium mica ore in China, Yichun, Jiangxi Province, has a profound impact on domestic supply due to changes in production capacity. At present, several lithium mica mines in Yichun area are in a state of shutdown, and four more mines are expected to enter the stage of shutdown and license renewal in May. In the second half of the year, there may be seven more mines facing shutdown, and the follow-up production cycle after the shutdown will last for more than a year. This structural contraction is due to the increase in environmental compliance requirements and the pressure of cost inversion. With lithium being identified as a strategic independent mineral, local mines need to complete the certification approval for the main mineral. Coupled with the significant increase in tailings processing costs, the survival pressure on small and medium-sized mines has intensified, further tightening the domestic supply of lithium mines and becoming an important factor supporting the price of lithium carbonate.
Demand side: Continuous recovery
The pattern of “dual wheel drive” between power batteries and energy storage batteries is becoming increasingly clear, and demand resilience continues to be highlighted. In the field of power batteries, despite a year-on-year decline in domestic sales of new energy vehicles in the first quarter, the significant increase in single vehicle charge has driven the production of power cells to maintain high-speed growth. The year-on-year increase in power cell production in the first quarter was nearly 40%, reflecting the inherent resilience of power battery demand. At the same time, the energy storage industry has experienced explosive growth, with the production of energy storage cells increasing by over 90% year-on-year in the first quarter, and the winning capacity scale increasing by 168% year-on-year. The proportion of energy storage cell production continues to increase, becoming an important increment in lithium demand growth. On this basis, institutions are optimistic about the future battery production schedule, with a month on month growth trend in April and May. The continued upward revision of demand expectations further strengthens the upward momentum of lithium carbonate prices.
Overall, the current upward trend in lithium carbonate prices is the result of the resonance between the contraction expectations caused by multiple disturbances on the supply side and the sustained recovery on the demand side. In the short term, the uncertainty on the supply side will continue, and the trends of domestic mines in Jiangxi, the export progress of lithium concentrate from Zimbabwe overseas, and the energy supply situation in Australia will continue to affect price trends; On the demand side, it is expected to remain strong, and the dual demand support of power batteries and energy storage batteries will further strengthen the price bottom support. However, it should be noted that the current fluctuation range of lithium carbonate prices has converged, and the future price trend still needs to focus on the progress of mining resumption in Jiangxi, the degree of demand fulfillment, as well as the potential impact of global macro environment and supply chain changes. Overall, the tight supply-demand balance pattern in the lithium carbonate market is expected to continue in the second quarter, and prices are likely to remain high.
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