A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260728

The most-traded lithium carbonate futures contract at Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX) showed a V-shaped trend in the session ending July 24, with the settlement price falling 5.69% from the previous Friday July 20. Spot market activity remained subdued, largely because downstream buyers had built ample inventories during the earlier price decline, leaving a significant portion of lithium carbonate stocks accumulated downstream. As a result, despite lower absolute prices, downstream demand for spot purchases has remained weak. On the supply side, August is expected to see weaker supply and stronger demand, with the balance sheet pointing to a significant drawdown due to continued feedstock constraints.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260721

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate contract hovered rangebound last week, with the settlement price largely staying flat as of Friday July 17 against the previous Friday July 10, data showed. The session ending July 17 saw the continued tug-of-war between recent supply tightness and future supply ramp-ups. In addition, late last Friday, China announced a consumption tax on lithium-ion batteries: 2% from September 1, 2026, rising to 4% from September 1, 2027. A production rush in August is likely, but capacity headroom may limit the actual boost. The tax will raise battery costs, accelerate the squeeze on highcost capacity, and shift demand toward taxexempt alternatives over time.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260714

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate futures contract returned to the downward trajectory in the week ending July 10, with the settlement price pulling back nearly 10% against the previous Friday July 3, giving up almost all the gains in the earlier session, data showed. On the spot market, lithium carbonate spot transactions reported by the traders improved significantly compared to the previous week, but the overall volume was modest as most cathode plants relied on long-term and tolling agreements for feedstock. Looking ahead, the lithium carbonate prices are projected to hover rangebound, with focuses on Jianxiawo's progress, overseas shipment, demand resilience, and warrants.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260707

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate contract bottomed out and showed continuous rebound in the week ending July 3, with the settlement price marking a weekly rally of around 13.50% compared with the previous Friday June 26, data showed. On the news front, on the evening of June 29, an industry insider close to CATL stated that "all productionrelated permits have now been secured, with the most critical one, the safety production permit, obtained on the same day." This is piece of news has been interpreted by market players as the strongest signal for a real production resumption since its closure in August 2025.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260630

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate futures contract showed an inverted V-shaped trend last week, with the settlement price closing the session with a weekly contraction of 10.10% against the previous Friday, while the biggest bearish impact came from rumors of an accelerated restart at Jianxiawo Mine, data showed. On the spot market, the spot lithium carbonate transactions more than doubled from the previous session, with buyers purchasing actively on the dip and traders' stocks showing palpable reductions. The warrants continued to decline, but the pace of drawdown has yet to accelerate.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260623

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate futures price remained on the downtrend last week despite mild rebound, with the settlement price falling 6.28% as of June 18 against the previous Friday, data showed. On the spot market, the transactions picked up when the lithium prices were on the downward trajectory. Specially, the carbonate market was quite active late last week as downstream players ramped up the procurement with prices below the long-term contracts. Elsewhere, both the traders' stocks and GFEX warrants showed mild and steady reductions, but the pace was rather slow.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260616

The most-traded lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX) rebounded from recent lows during the week ending June 12 after the market players fully digested the bearish impact from the influx of untracked lithium carbonate stocks and mounting warrants. As of last Friday, the settlement price posted a weekly gain of 9.14% from June 5, effectively recouping losses from the prior session. On the fundamentals, the spot lithium carbonate transactions were flat last week as downstream cathode plants and battery cell manufacturers primarily purchased on essential demand in early month, and the continuous price hike also put them on the sidelines.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260609

Last week, nickel prices showed weak trend. Under the combined impact of weakening macro sentiment and fundamental pressures, the most-traded SHFE nickel contract came under pressure and fell. On the macro front, rising expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and the relatively strong performance of the US dollar index exerted pressure on the non-ferrous metals sector. At the same time, US-Iran negotiations continued, leading to uncertainties over sulfur supply expectations, and some of the risk premiums accumulated earlier were given back.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260602

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate futures contract rallied around the middle of the week ending May 29 after falling for two weeks in a row, with the contract's settlement price recording a mild retreat of 0.62% as of Friday against May 22, data showed. On May 28, Zimbabwe classified lithium as a "critical mineral" and signaled plans to mandate minimum state ownership in mining assets. Although firms said it was a "minister's personal view" with no formal policy or immediate impact, the market viewed the news as a major supply disruption, triggering a sharp afternoon price rebound on the same day of the news.

A Glance of China Lithium-ion Battery Materials Market 20260526

The most-traded GFEX (Guangzhou Futures Exchange) lithium carbonate contract embarked on the downtrend in the past two weeks after briefly hitting a year-to-date high, with the settlement price falling 5.03% as of Friday May 22 against the previous Friday, data showed. The major causes for the pullback included a concentrated release of hidden lithium carbonate stocks when lithium prices were around Yuan 200,000/tonne that flooded the spot market, and a regulatory crackdown on invoicing among traders that strained their liquidity, leaving the spot market with limited capacity to absorb supply. Yet, the continued price cut encouraged the spot trading.