News summary

China's passenger car sales fell 9% year-on-year in the first 12 days of Mayrainbowtrout, an increase of 2% month-on-month; sales of new energy vehicles increased by 31% year-on-year and 10% month-on-month. Supply and demand of lithium carbonate have increased, and prices have fallen. The market may be under pressure in the second quarter.

Newsletter text

In the first week of May, sales in the passenger car market fell by 9% month-on-month growth of 2%. From May 1 to 12, the national passenger car market recorded sales of 55%.rainbowtrout.90,000 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 9%, but a month-on-month increase of 2% from the same period last month.

New energy vehicle sales increased by 31% year-on-year and 10% month-on-month. During the same period, cumulative sales in the new energy vehicle market reached 24.rainbowtrout.10,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 31%, and a month-on-month increase of 10%.

Lithium carbonate supply hits new high. The market supply is abundant. This week, lithium carbonate supply increased to 15150 tons, setting a new high for the year. Production in Qinghai and Sichuan has soared, lithium salt factories have a firm belief in ensuring prices, and self-owned ore smelters maintain production due to profits.

The fluctuations in demand during the off-season of electric vehicle consumption are affected by the traditional off-season, and the performance of electric vehicle terminal consumption is flat. Downstream cell factories have slightly accumulated inventory and reduced the purchase of cathode materials. Production at the ternary materials factory decreased, iron-lithium production remained flat, and demand for lithium carbonate declined.

Cost-end prices fell. Spodumene prices remained stable. This week, cost-end prices generally fell, while African spodumene prices remained stable. Australian spodumene prices dropped by US$40 per ton, and lepidolite prices fell by 350 yuan per ton.

Total lithium carbonate inventories rose, smelter inventories increased As of May 17, total lithium carbonate inventories climbed to 87049 tons, a month-on-month increase of 2494 tons, of which upstream smelter inventories increased to 48300 tons, a month-on-month increase of 3485 tons.

Lithium carbonate prices may remain low in the short term. The market is cautious. Lithium salt factories have a strong sentiment to support prices, but the market remains cautious about the downward trend in prices and actual purchases are limited. Market expectations were under pressure in the second quarter. As battery production increased, lithium carbonate production and imports also continued to rise.

Pay attention to the impact of policy changes on the new energy vehicle marketrainbowtroutThe follow-up need to pay attention to the implementation of the car trade-in policy and the actual impact of new energy vehicles going to the countryside on the market. The main contract of lithium carbonate has been falling continuously since May 8, and the price range will enter a new shock range after moving downward.