Price Assessment

Platts China Lithium Assessment

  • What are Platts China Lithium price assessments?
  • How do we assess Platts China Lithium prices?
  • Platts China Lithium Commentary
  • Platts China Lithium Heards

What are Platts China Lithium price assessments?

Platts Lithium Hydroxide DDP China assessment by S&P Global Commodity Insights reflects physical spot market prices for min 56.5% purity battery grade lithium hydroxide. Other qualities are considered and may be normalized back to Platts base standard specifications, subject to prevailing market differentials.

The assessment reflects physical spot market prices for min 99.5% purity battery grade lithium carbonate. Other qualities are considered and may be normalized back to Platts base standard specifications, subject to prevailing market differentials.

S&P Global Commodity Insights launched the weekly Lithium Carbonate DDP China & Lithium Hydroxide DDP China assessments on September 7, 2018. The assessments are timestamped to 4:30 pm Singapore time and are published on Fridays.

Visit here for our full Lithium methodology

How do we assess Platts China Lithium prices?

Platts DDP China Lithium Assessments by S&P Global Commodity Insights are based on market information, including, but not limited to, firm bids and offers, and trades reported to the editor each week. Our assessments reflect responsibly sourced material, which sellers should be able to demonstrate in line with standard industry practice, upon buyers' request.

S&P Global Commodity Insightscollects data from market participants across the full supply chain, allowing us to produce a balanced assessment of price by engaging with suppliers, traders and consumers of all size and scale.

S&P Global Commodity Insights coverage of the lithium hydroxide and carbonate market is led by a global team across three offices: Singapore, Sao Paulo and London. These regions cover the key supply and consumption hubs for lithium carbonate.

Platts China Lithium Commentary

  • Lanke’s May 29 sale gives slight boost to carbonate prices
  • Mixed views on near-term prices despite demand recovery



Chinese lithium prices saw a slight boost in the week to June 1 on higher offers and expectations of improved downstream demand in June from May.

Platts assessed battery-grade lithium carbonate at Yuan 310,000/mt DDP China June 1, up Yuan 10,000/mt from May 26.

Several market sources talked about seeing a stable demand recovery, particularly from LFP battery makers, which helped support lithium carbonate prices.

“We are seeing more inquiries this week, and there’re no cheap materials available anymore,” said a China-based trader.

“It seems like some consumers may have finished destocking through H1 2023 and are starting to restock now,” said a China-based consumer.

Spot offers were further limited with a few refiners still focused on fulfilling term contract obligations, though some sources expected that refiners could still be sitting on inventories.

News of a 3,000 mt lithium carbonate sale May 29 by Chinese salt lake Lanke at Yuan 300,000/mt also encouraged sellers to lift spot offers.

Consequently, trades for battery-grade lithium carbonate were heard done in a range of Yuan 300,000-320,000/mt in the week to June 1, which most sources deemed to be a fair level.

While consumers concurred that there was a pick-up in demand, some said current market fundamentals would not be able to sustain a further price increase and expected prices to stabilize around the Yuan 300,000/mt mark in the near term.

“Demand from the energy storage sector will likely be a key focus for the market moving forward,” a China-based producer added.

Lithium hydroxide prices also rose slightly although recovery in the high-nickel NMC sector was deemed slower than LFP.

Platts assessed battery-grade lithium hydroxide at Yuan 299,000/mt DDP China June 1, up Yuan 4,000/mt from May 26.

Upstream, sources talked about offers heard for spodumene concentrate at $4,000/mt and above, largely unchanged from the previous week, while demand remained tepid.

Platts assessed spodumene concentrate with 6% lithium oxide content (SC6) at $3,500/mt FOB Australia June 1, unchanged from May 26.

Platts is part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Platts China Lithium Heards

08 Jun 2023 — Ni-Co black mass lithium payables DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at 75% payables of lithium ca

08 Jun 2023 — LFP black mass DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 12000 per percent lithium, June loading:

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 310,000/mt, June loading (battery gra

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 320,000/mt, June loading (battery gra

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Hydroxide DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 300,000/mt, June loading (battery gra

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 300,000/mt, June loading (industrial

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 offered at Yuan 330,000/mt, June loading (battery grad

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 offered at Yuan 320,000-330,000/mt, June loading (batt

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 310,000-320,000/mt, June loading (bat

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 320,000/mt, June loading (battery gra

08 Jun 2023 — Lithium Carbonate DDP China heard on Jun 8 tradable at Yuan 305,000-310,000/mt, June loading (bat

08 Jun 2023 — Spodumene Concentrate (6% lithium oxide) FOB Australia heard on Jun 8 tradable at $3000-3500/mt,

08 Jun 2023 — Spodumene Concentrate (6% lithium oxide) FOB Australia heard on Jun 8 indicatively bid at $3000-3

08 Jun 2023 — Spodumene Concentrate (6% lithium oxide) FOB Australia heard on Jun 8 tradable at $3,500/mt, prom

08 Jun 2023 — Spodumene Concentrate (6% lithium oxide) FOB Australia heard on Jun 8 indicatively offered at $3,