China’s threshold for electric vehicles to receive subsidies in 2019 has been increased again while the value of subsidies has been cut sharply, which was expected by the majority of market participants who are now cautiously checking the resulting impact on the battery supply chain.
The global market for direct-reduced (DR)-grade pellets continues to suffer from a shortage after being aggravated by Vale’s dam collapse in late January, which has pushed the DR pellet premium up further, Fastmarkets has learned.
Tianqi Lithium Kwinana Pty Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese lithium producer Tianqi Lithium, has signed two strategic supply agreements for battery-grade lithium hydroxide separately with SK Innovation Co Ltd and EcoPro BM Co Ltd, the producer said.
Copper stocks in Shanghai-bonded warehouses rose for a fifth consecutive month in March, hitting a 20-month high by the end of the month, after Chinese smelters continued to deliver cargoes into the bonded zone to take advantage of an export arbitrage that has been in place since mid-February.
Treatment charges for spot zinc concentrate continued to rise in March with deals over the $300-per-tonne mark made for clean cargoes.
