Shang Hai Zheng Quan Bao·2025-12-29 19:06Core Viewpoint - The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) industry is facing significant operational pressure due to rising raw material costs and challenges in passing price increases to downstream battery manufacturers, leading to collective production cuts among major companies in the sector [2][4]. Group 1: Production Cuts - Five major LFP companies, including Wanrun New Energy and Hunan Youneng, announced production cuts scheduled for January 2026, with reductions ranging from 35% to 50% [2][3]. - Long-term contracts ("long orders") provide some market security for LFP companies, but challenges remain in transmitting raw material price increases [2][4]. - The collective production cuts are seen as a necessary measure to support pricing amid unfavorable market conditions [4][5]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The average market price for LFP in November was 14,704.8 yuan per ton, while production costs ranged from 16,798.2 yuan to 17,216.3 yuan per ton, indicating a widening gap between costs and prices [5]. - Despite high demand and increased operational rates, most LFP companies are still operating at a loss, with only a few exceptions like Hunan Youneng and Fulian Precision [5][6]. - The industry is characterized as being in a "sandwich" position, squeezed by rising raw material costs and resistance from downstream customers to accept price hikes [2][5]. Group 3: Expansion Trends - A new wave of capacity expansion is emerging in the LFP sector, with companies like Ningde Times and Wanhua Chemical investing heavily in new production projects [7][8]. - Ningde Times' subsidiary, Bangpu Recycling, launched a new LFP project with an annual capacity of 450,000 tons, while Wanhua Chemical plans to build a 650,000-ton LFP project in Shandong [7][8]. - The influx of new entrants and expansion by existing players raises concerns about potential oversupply in the market, especially as the industry has not fully recovered from previous losses [7][8].