Lithium: The lithium smelters were increasingly cautious on purchasing lithium ore in the face of volatile lithium prices recently. The lithium ore traders were slightly less firm to the prices, and were more inclined to sell or process the lithium ore into lithium carbonate. The transactions on the market were mostly with long-term orders, and it is expected that the lithium ore prices will remain flat in the near term. For lithium carbonate the spot prices of battery grade lithium carbonate edged up, and the futures prices rose as well, which lifted the traders' quotations. The smelters held the prices firm still, and the downstream material factories stood wait-and-see, with fewer transactions. It is projected that the lithium carbonate prices will move rangebound in the near term.
Nickel: The MHP supply in Indonesia rose rapidly, leading to rising nickel sulfate supply in China in the future. Meanwhile, some integrated producers sold nickel sulfate, further booming the nickel sulfate supply. While the end-market demand recovered slowly, the downstream inquiries were relatively active ahead of the Labor Day holiday, supporting the nickel prices. It is likely that the nickel sulfate prices will remain flat at present, and then begin to fall when the supply starts to pick up.
Cobalt: The news front did not see more bullish or bearish factors. On the demand side, the downstream players were cautious on risk aversion needs, and the transactions were muted. It is likely that the cobalt sulfate prices will stay flat in the near term.
Battery scrap: The battery black mass prices showed some small changes yesterday, but the overall market sentiment was little affected. It is expected that the black mass prices will keep rangebound in the near term.
Repurposing: The transactions on the repurposing market were mostly with A grade battery cells yesterday, and there were fewer orders for battery pack. The electronics sector shower greater interest for cylindrical battery cells.