PRICING NOTICE: Proposal to amend specifications of Fastmarkets’ lithium battery-grade price assessments

The amendment to the specifications of the lithium carbonate battery-grade regional price assessments is:

Quality: white powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications and with the chemical composition Li2CO3 99.2% min (from brine) or 99.5% min (from hard rock); Na 0.060% max; Ca 0.016% max; Fe 0.001% max; Mg 0.008 max; magnetic impurities 300ppb max

Prices affected: 

• Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot prices cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg 
• Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan/tonne 
• Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe and US, $/kg 
• Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, contract price cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg 
• Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, contract price ddp Europe and US, $/kg

The amendment to the specifications of the lithium hydroxide battery-grade regional price assessments is:

Quality: white powder, accepted by buyer for use in battery applications and with the chemical composition LiOH.H2O 56.5% min; Na 0.005% max; Fe 0.0008% max; Ca 0.002%max; SO4 0.01%max; CO2 <0.350%; MMI <100ppb

Prices affected:

• Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg
• Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan/tonne
• Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe and US, $/kg
• Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, contract price ddp Europe and US, $/kg
• Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, contract price cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg

All other specifications for the above listed prices will remain unchanged and are detailed in full here.

Fastmarkets understands that the lithium market is in the early stages of identifying standard specifications that qualify as “battery-grade”. Therefore, the suitability of any changes to chemical specifications will continue to be reviewed on a six-month basis while the lithium industry, and the utilization of Fastmarkets’ price assessments within it, continues to evolve.

The consultation period for these proposed amendments will start on April 22 and end on May 22, with changes taking place subject to market feedback from May 23. Should the consultation need to be extended to collect additional feedback, however, Fastmarkets will do so based on its determination. 

To provide feedback on these specification amendments or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these prices, please contact the price reporters Dalila Ouerghi or Carrie Shi by email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Dalila Ouerghi (or Carrie Shi), re: amendments to lithium battery-grade specifications.”

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/about-us/methodology.