Last week, the cobalt salt market continued its weakening trend, with trading activity in cobalt sulfate remaining notably sluggish. Primary smelters maintained high offers, holding firm at the threshold of Yuan 85,000/tonne. Meanwhile, a few recycling smelters, aiming to accelerate capital turnover, quoted their lowest prices in the range of Yuan 79,00081,000/tonne. On the demand side, no notable improvement was observed. Major producers still hold relatively ample inventories and have yet to release any procurement requirements. The next round of restocking is not expected to commence until possibly after August. Cobalt chloride saw trading nearly at a standstill, weighed down by sluggish demand for Co3O4 and the substitution effect from lower-priced cobalt sulfate. Downstream buyers remain largely unwilling to purchase, with restocking activities generally deferred to post-August.