Fastmarkets proposes changes to quality, tonnage specifications for battery-grade cif CJK lithium salts assessments

Fastmarkets also proposes to clarify the shelf life, payment terms and timing for assessments within this suite of prices.

Fastmarkets has observed swift growth of the spot market battery-grade lithium salts market, and this proposal follows the widening of reported price ranges over the past year, especially in the CIF China, Japan and Korea assessments.

Market participants have attributed this to changing supply-demand fundamentals, especially for lithium hydroxide, and have said that less widely qualified or older material trades at lower prices.

Fastmarkets has proposed these changes in line with market feedback and to focus the price assessment specifications on the prevailing merchantable material in the China, Japan and Korea region, for lithium salts that are widely qualified by buyers in the destination country for use in battery applications.

The proposed changes to Fastmarkets’ benchmark battery-grade cif China, Japan & Korea lithium salts assessments are as follows

MB-LI-0033 lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan & Korea
1. Fastmarkets proposes changing the quality to “non-clumping and non-agglomerated coarse powder, widely qualified by buyers in the destination country for use in battery applications…” Fastmarkets would define coarse as particle size D50 between 200 μm and 700 μm. Currently, Fastmarkets assesses “Powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications…”
2. Fastmarkets proposes changing the minimum quantity to 18 tonnes. Other quantities may be considered for normalization. Currently, the minimum quantity is 5 tonnes.
3. Fastmarkets proposes to clarify payment terms as letter of credit at sight. Other payment terms would be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify payment terms.
4. Fastmarkets proposes to clarify shelf life in the specification. Fastmarkets would reflect material stored in big bags delivered within six months of its production or reprocessing date. Material stored in airtight bags or drums may be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify shelf life.
5. Fastmarkets also wishes to clarify that the timing specification of 60 days in the methodology refers to delivery of material to the buyer from the seller within the specified number of days.

MB-LI-0029 lithium carbonate, 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot prices cif China, Japan & Korea
1. Fastmarkets proposes changing the quality to “Powder, widely qualified by buyers in the destination country for use in battery applications…” Currently, Fastmarkets assesses “Powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications…”
2. Fastmarkets proposes changing the minimum quantity to 18 tonnes. Other quantities may be considered for normalization. Currently, the minimum quantity is 5 tonnes. The minimum volume specifications for ddp Europe, ddp US & Canada would not change.
3. Fastmarkets proposes to clarify payment terms as letter of credit at sight. Other payment terms would be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify payment terms.
4. Fastmarkets proposes to clarify shelf life in the specification. Fastmarkets would reflect material stored in big bags delivered within nine months of its production or reprocessing date. Material stored in airtight bags or drums may be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify shelf life.
5. Fastmarkets also wishes to clarify that the timing specification of 60 days in the methodology refers to delivery of material to the buyer from the seller within the specified number of days.

This proposal follows an initial consultation opened January 23, 2026, which was extended until February 27, 2026.

Fastmarkets proposes changes to align global suite of lithium prices
Fastmarkets is also proposing changes and clarifications to its suite of lithium prices to align with the aforementioned changes and observed trading practices.

The proposed changes are as follows:

Battery-grade lithium hydroxide assessments (excluding cif China, Japan, Korea)
1, Fastmarkets proposes changing the quality to “non-clumping and non-agglomerated coarse powder, widely qualified by buyers in the destination country for use in battery applications…” Fastmarkets would define coarse as particle size D50 between 200 μm and 700 μm. Currently, Fastmarkets assesses “Powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications…”
2. Fastmarkets proposes adding 30-day payment terms to its ddp Europe and ddp US/Canada assessments and clarifying telegraphic transfer payment terms to its exw domestic China assessment. Other payment terms would be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify payment terms.
3. Fastmarkets proposes changing the minimum quantity to 30 tonnes for its exw domestic China assessment. Other quantities may be considered for normalization. Currently, the minimum quantity is 5 tonnes. The minimum volume specifications for ddp Europe, ddp US & Canada would not change.
4. Fastmarkets proposes to increase the timing specification to delivery within 60 days from 30 days for its ddp Europe and ddp US and Canada assessments to better reflect intercontinental voyage times.
5. Fastmarkets proposes to clarify shelf life in the specification. Fastmarkets would reflect material stored in big bags delivered within six months of its production or reprocessing date. Material stored in airtight bags or drums may be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify shelf life.

These proposed changes would apply to:
MB-LI-0040 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan per tonne
MB-LI-0025 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe, $ per kg
MB-LI-0045 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price ddp US and Canada, $ per kg

Battery-grade lithium carbonate assessments (excluding cif China, Japan, Korea)
1, Fastmarkets proposes changing the quality to “Powder, widely qualified by buyers in the destination country for use in battery applications…” Currently, Fastmarkets assesses “Powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications…”
2. Fastmarkets proposes adding 30-day payment terms to its ddp Europe and ddp US/Canada assessments and clarifying telegraphic transfer payment terms to its exw domestic China assessment. Other payment terms would be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify payment terms.
3. Fastmarkets proposes changing the minimum quantity to 30 tonnes for its exw domestic China assessment. Other quantities may be considered for normalization. Currently, the minimum quantity is 5 tonnes. The minimum volume specifications for ddp Europe, ddp US & Canada would not change.
4. Fastmarkets proposes to increase the timing specification to delivery within 60 days from 30 days for its ddp Europe and ddp US and Canada assessments to better reflect intercontinental voyage times.
5. Fastmarkets proposes clarifying shelf life in the specification. Fastmarkets would reflect material stored in big bags delivered within nine months of its production or reprocessing date. Material stored in airtight bags or drums may be considered for normalization. Currently, Fastmarkets does not specify shelf life.

These proposed changes would apply to:
MB-LI-0036 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price range, exw domestic China, yuan per tonne
MB-LI-0023 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe, $ per kg
MB-LI-0044 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp US and Canada, $ per kg

Reported pricing data for other qualities, such as non-qualified material, or for different payment terms and timing specifications, would be considered for normalization to Fastmarkets’ base standard specification.

Please send any questions or comments by Friday May 15 to pricing@fastmarkets.com and industrialminerals@fastmarkets.com. Please indicate if comments are confidential. Fastmarkets will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to the Fastmarkets methodology page.