According to Mysteel's survey, China's lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) production reached 7,830 tonnes in May 2026, representing a month-on-month increase of 3.43% and a year-on-year decrease of 30.95%. The market players mostly held a wait-and-see attitude, with production sustaining long-term agreement deliveries. A few producers experienced restorative growth in their production schedules, leading to a slight increase in LCO output in May.
For June 2026, China's LCO production is expected to reach 8,200 tonnes, up 4.73% MoM but down 23.36% YoY. The recovery momentum of downstream consumer electronics end-demand remains weak. While inventories at downstream battery cell manufacturers are expected to be partially depleted, a large-scale concentrated restocking has yet to commence. Therefore, the extent of the production increase is expected to be limited.
Edited by Cassie Li, lixiangying@mysteel.com
