Platts launches SpodIX, new spodumene concentrate CIF China assessment reflecting 6.0% lithium oxide pricing basis

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, has launched SpodIX (SPODI00), a new daily CIF China spodumene concentrate spot price assessment reflecting 6.0% lithium oxide pricing basis, effective Sept. 1.

The assessment launch follows market feedback confirming a practice of negotiating and concluding spot transactions for spodumene concentrate with lithium oxide content between 5.0% and 6.0% on a 6.0% pricing basis.

SpodIX CIF China assessment

The new SpodIX CIF China assessment reflects typical pricing basis applied to Chinese imports and captures larger volumes shipped in dry bulk vessels.

It complements Platts existing 5.5% lithium spodumene CIF China assessment (BATLS00), for which the volume specification more closely reflects containerized shipments.

SpodIX has the following basis specifications:

The new assessment considers information reported to Platts for spodumene concentrate with lithium oxide content of 5.0%-6.0%. Datapoints are normalized to a 6.0% pricing basis assuming a linear adjustment for the value of each 0.1% of lithium oxide within the range, in line with market practice.

Information reported on bulk cargoes with volumes above 10,000 mt may be normalized to the quantity specification.

Platts additionally specifies the following typical brands reflected in the assessment:

• Kathleen Valley

• Mount Holland

• North American Lithium

• Pilgangoora

• Wodgina

Platts considers these mainstream seaborne spot brands in its assessment process and may normalize information reported on other brands to the basis specifications.

The new SpodIX assessment reflects a time stamp of 4:30 pm in Singapore.

Quality differential

Separately, based on market feedback, Platts has widened the range of its existing 0.1% lithium differential on an FOB Australia basis. Effective Sept. 1, the differential applies to concentrates with lithium oxide content of 5.0%-6.0%, revised from 5.5%-6.0%.

The quality specification is updated as follows:

All other specifications remain unchanged.

The new launch and updated quality differential were first proposed in a subscriber note published Aug. 8, available here . Following market feedback, Platts communicated the addition of typical seaborne spot brand specifications for the SpodIX assessment in a subscriber note published Aug. 27, available here .

Platts spot price assessments consider market information reported to Platts and published throughout the day, including firm bids and offers, transactions and indications, as well as any other data deemed relevant to the assessment process. Relevant information may be normalized for assessment purposes.

Full specifications for Platts spodumene assessments can be found in the specifications guide for Global Nonferrous Metals .

The new SpodIX assessment and its monthly average are published on Platts Metals Daily, Battery Metals Market Report, in the Platts price database and on Platts Nonferrous Metals Alert pages MTL/PMA8888 and 8880, alongside Platts full suite of battery materials assessments.

Please send any feedback, comments and questions to battery_metals@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

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