Price trend

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Business Society, as of April 16th, the average price of industrial grade lithium hydroxide in China was 106600.00 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.57% compared to last Tuesday (April 9th).

Recently, the lithium hydroxide market has fluctuated and risen narrowly. Recently, the price of spodumene concentrate has been stable, while the upstream lithium carbonate price has remained stable with relatively stable cost support. The supply side finished product inventory is in the middle position, and the downstream high nickel production is extremely stable with an increase. The market atmosphere is active, and the demand side has increased to support the market’s price mentality. However, the downstream intention to buy high priced raw materials is still cautious, and the lithium hydroxide market is mainly subject to narrow adjustments.

Upstream lithium carbonate: According to the monitoring of the commodity market analysis system of Business Society, on April 15th, the reference price for lithium carbonate industrial grade was 108800.00, an increase of 1.68% compared to April 1st (107000.00). Recently, the price of lithium carbonate has undergone a narrow adjustment, which still provides sufficient support for the lithium hydroxide market.

According to analysts from Shengyishe Lithium Hydroxide, the downstream market is currently mainly focused on following up on low demand, with reasonable cost and demand support. Business owners have a strong wait-and-see attitude, and it is expected that the lithium hydroxide market will operate in a narrow range in the short term. The specific trend still needs to pay attention to market news guidance.

According to the Commodity Analysis System of Business Society, in mid April, the price of chloroacetic acid was 3187 yuan/ton, a decrease of 13 yuan/ton from 3200 yuan/ton at the beginning of April, basically unchanged.

On the demand side, downstream glyphosate has recently bottomed out and rebounded. Although the domestic trade market has performed poorly, the demand in the foreign trade market is steadily releasing, and the market demand is developing well. Some companies have already filled their orders in April and are expected to perform positively in the future.

Business Society analysts believe that the downstream demand for chloroacetic acid has surged, providing strong support for its price, and the recent market may mainly fluctuate and rise.

1、 Price trend

According to the commodity market analysis system of Business Society, the price of bromine has remained stable this week. The average market price from the beginning of the week to the weekend was 18100 yuan/ton, a decrease of 30.38% compared to the same period last year. On April 11th, the bromine commodity index was 63.51, unchanged from yesterday, a 74.10% decrease from the highest point in the cycle of 245.18 points (2021-10-27), and an increase of 7.79% from the lowest point of 58.92 points on October 29th, 2014. (Note: The cycle refers to the period from September 1st, 2011 to present)

2、 Market analysis

This week, the price of bromine is in a weak trend, with mainstream prices in the Shandong market ranging from 18000 to 21000 yuan/ton, and market prices are consolidating horizontally. The supply of bromine manufacturers is now stable, and the actual transactions of enterprises are average. The downstream flame retardant and intermediate industries are still mainly purchasing on demand recently, and the transaction situation is average, with a strong wait-and-see attitude. In terms of raw materials, domestic sulfur prices have risen, with an average market price of 1110 yuan/ton at the beginning of the week and 1176.67 yuan/ton at the end of the week. The price has increased by 6.01%, an increase of 25.18% compared to the same period last year.

It is predicted that the price of bromine will be consolidating in the near future, and the price of upstream sulfur will rise. However, bromine shipments will be average in the near future. The downstream flame retardant and intermediate industries of bromine will still mainly purchase according to demand, with moderate replenishment of inventory. There is no positive support, and it is expected that the price of bromine will fluctuate in the short term. The specific situation depends on the downstream market demand.

According to the monitoring of the commodity market analysis system of Business Society, the prices of industrial grade lithium carbonate and battery grade lithium carbonate have shown an upward trend in recent times. On April 11, 2024, the average domestic mixed price of industrial grade lithium carbonate was 108800 yuan/ton, an increase of 1.68% compared to the average price of 107000 yuan/ton on April 1. On April 11th, the average domestic mixed price of battery grade lithium carbonate was 116800 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.69% compared to the average price of 116000 yuan/ton on April 1st.

By observing market changes, it can be seen that the price of lithium carbonate is still in an upward range recently. In terms of supply, currently, smelting enterprises generally have a clear reluctance to sell individual orders, and there is no significant change in the sentiment of individual orders supporting prices. Most lithium salt enterprises have raised their prices. In addition, salt lake enterprises currently have low inventory levels, and the overall production recovery pace of lithium salt recycling enterprises is generally slower than that of raw material lithium salt enterprises. This makes the overall supply of spot mobile goods tend to be tight.

In terms of demand, during the Qingming holiday, the trading status of the spot market was basically stagnant, and downstream enterprises such as positive electrodes basically maintained their normal production rhythm by consuming existing inventory. After the end of the holiday, downstream market inquiries are more active, and companies are more likely to purchase essential goods to replenish inventory, which also drives the overall transaction price focus to gradually increase.

The lithium hydroxide market has been operating with narrow fluctuations. Since April, the atmosphere in the lithium hydroxide market has been somewhat stagnant, and holders are flexible in quoting, mostly relying on observation. At the raw material level, the price of spodumene concentrate has slightly increased, and the upstream lithium carbonate market is relatively strong, which has boosted the lithium hydroxide market. Terminal demand has rebounded, and downstream positive electrode enterprises mainly purchase in demand. The overall market inquiry atmosphere is active, and actual transactions are average, with a strong wait-and-see attitude.

The downstream price of lithium iron phosphate is in a continuous upward trend. Since April, the market price of lithium iron phosphate has remained high and the trend has continued to be strong. The cost side price of iron phosphate is strongly supported, and there is still support for lithium carbonate. Moreover, downstream demand continues to remain high, the procurement atmosphere is good, the focus of negotiations remains high, and there is no pressure on inventory. Currently, downstream enterprises mainly rely on rigid procurement, with a relatively high factory operating rate. Small and medium-sized enterprises mainly focus on production and sales.

In terms of futures, the price of lithium carbonate futures has entered a volatile pattern, with the current strong basis and the narrowing of the price difference between industrial and battery grade, reflecting the tense situation of the spot market. On April 11th, the opening price of the LC2407 main contract was 115600 yuan/ton, the closing price was 112500 yuan/ton, and the highest price was 115700 yuan/ton, with a daily decline of 3.06%. The transaction volume was 195100 lots and the position was 180154 lots.

According to analysts from Shengyishe Lithium Carbonate, during the recent period of rising spot prices of lithium carbonate, the market has continued its strategy of purchasing on demand, resulting in an overall increase in the focus of transaction prices. However, some trading companies have also provided feedback that downstream companies have lower purchasing intentions and are more inclined to purchase low-priced quasi electric carbon and industrial carbon sources. This has also led to a gradually narrowing trend in the price difference between industrial grade lithium carbonate and battery grade lithium carbonate, and it is expected that the spot price of lithium carbonate will remain relatively strong in the short term.

Recently, the domestic glycerol market prices have remained stable. According to the monitoring system of Shengyishe, as of April 10th, the benchmark price of glycerol in Shengyishe was 4500.00 yuan/ton, an increase of 1.41% compared to the beginning of this month (4437.50 yuan/ton). At present, the reference price for industrial grade 99.5% glycerol in the domestic market is around 4400-4600 yuan/ton.

On the raw material side, after the Qingming Festival, the price of CBOT soybean futures in the external market rose moderately, with an estimated increase in Malay palm oil production and a decrease in futures prices. The boosting effect of the external futures market was limited, and the soybean oil palm oil market continued to decline. The demand for terminal catering is stable, with high inventories of soybean oil and palm oil. Multiple bearish factors have suppressed the weak spot market of soybean oil and palm oil. According to the monitoring of Business Society, the benchmark price of palm oil in Business Society is 8440.00 yuan/ton, an increase of 2.43% compared to the beginning of this month (8240.00 yuan/ton). The inventory of crude glycerol abroad is relatively low, and the quoted price is firm. Overall, the high support for raw material prices is relatively stable.

Downstream end: The market for epichlorohydrin is weak, with slow demand growth and no positive news at the moment.

Post forecast: According to the glycerol data analyst from Business Society, the raw material soybean oil palm oil is being suppressed by multiple negative factors, and the price trend is weak and downward. However, the inventory of crude glycerol in the external market is low, and the price is strong at a high level. Domestic refining enterprises are under pressure on procurement costs, and they are mostly wait-and-see. In addition, the downstream chlorine market is weak and demand is sluggish. In the near future, domestic glycerol prices may remain stable, and more information needs to be paid attention to market guidance.