Today, the spot price of lithium carbonate continues to rise.

K-LinePoet · 2026-04-03T18:35:48+00:00

Today, the SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot index continued to rise compared with the previous working day. The main contract fluctuated and moved upward during the day, and its intraday high at one point approached 170,000 yuan/ton. At the beginning of the session, open interest once increased by more than 10,000 lots; then it fell back as prices oscillated, settling around 168,000 yuan/ton, and open interest was reduced to 248,000 lots. As of the close, open interest increased by approximately 1,300 lots compared with the previous trading day.In the spot market, upstream lithium-salt producers sold a limited amount of scattered cargoes at prices of 167,000 yuan/ton and above, with selling sentiment showing signs of a slight rebound. Downstream material manufacturers, after purchasing at low prices to replenish inventory at the start of the week, continued to take a cautious wait-and-see stance as prices rose, only maintaining a small amount of just-needed procurement, with most purchase prices below 159,000 yuan/ton. Overall, upstream sellers’ sentiment loosened slightly, while downstream purchasing willingness remained relatively weak.On the supply side, news kept coming in from mines in Zimbabwe, Australia, and Jiangxi, continuously boosting market sentiment; macro

K-LinePoet

2026-04-03 18:35:48

Today’s SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot index continues to rise compared with the previous working day. The main contracts fluctuated and moved upward during the day, once reaching a peak close to the 170k yuan/ton range. At the start of the session, open interest briefly increased by over ten thousand lots, then, as prices fluctuated and pulled back to around 168k yuan/ton, open interest decreased to 248k lots. By the close of trading, open interest increased by about 1.3 thousand lots versus the previous trading day.

In the spot market, upstream lithium-salt producers have sold a small number of spot orders at prices of 170,000 yuan/ton and above, and sell-side sentiment has shown some signs of improvement. Downstream material manufacturers, at the start of the week, continued to take a cautious wait-and-see approach: inventory levels were sufficient for replenishment on dips, and amid the upward price trend they maintained prudence. They only kept making small purchases driven by rigid demand, with purchase prices mostly below 159k yuan/ton. Overall, upstream selling sentiment has loosened slightly, while downstream procurement willingness remains relatively weak.

On the supply side, news from Zimbabwe, Australian ore, and the Jiangxi ore sector has come in succession, continuously lifting market sentiment. In the macro environment, today’s market risk appetite has improved somewhat, and metal prices overall have rebounded. However, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are still ongoing and continue to disrupt conditions, and macro uncertainty remains. Looking ahead, the frequent release of new vehicle models in March and April is expected to support marginal improvements in demand, but the continued recovery of ore shipments from Zimbabwe’s mines still needs ongoing monitoring. It is expected that in the short term, lithium carbonate prices will maintain a broad-range, sideways oscillation pattern. (Shanghai Metals Market)

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