In December 2025, China's production of Co3O4 reached 9,940 tonnes, representing a month-on-month decrease of 2.07% and a year-on-year decline of 5.15%. December traditionally marks a seasonally weak period for 3C electronics demand. However, the pull-forward of some demand from January 2026 by LCO battery cell manufacturers helped mitigate a significant drop in Co3O4 production for the month.
For January 2026, China's Co3O4 production is likely to reach 10,130 tonnes, indicating increases of 1.91% MoM and 35.79% YoY respectively. In January, domestic cobalt raw material supply remains tight, prompting smelters to prioritize fulfilling long-term agreement deliveries. As some producers plan maintenance shutdowns during the Spring Festival holiday in February, a portion of their production schedules has been advanced to January. Consequently, Co3O4 output is expected to experience a slight month-on-month increase, with overall changes remaining limited.
Edited by Cassie Li, lixiangying@mysteel.com
