Report Industry Investment Rating No relevant content provided. Core Views - In the first half of the year, lithium carbonate prices rebounded at the beginning of the year due to pre - holiday restocking by downstream players. After the holiday, new - energy vehicle terminal sales declined, lithium salt production climbed rapidly, inventory accumulated, and prices dropped. In June, production contracted, material factories restocked, and policies released positive expectations, leading to a price rebound [3]. - In the second half of the year, the fundamental situation of supply - demand weakness remains unchanged, and prices are expected to continue to decline under the logic of oversupply. However, the advantage of hedging for lithium salt plants disappears, the pace of upstream capacity clearance is expected to accelerate, and there may be frequent disruptions on the supply side. The domestic macro - environment has not improved significantly, and the resilience of power terminal consumption is questionable. The heat of the energy - storage market may continue in the third quarter, and the "rush - to - export" trend depends on foreign trade policy risks. Overall, prices may continue to decline, but the downward path may not be smooth [3]. Summary by Directory 1. Market Review - In the first half of the year, lithium carbonate prices fluctuated downward based on fundamental logic, with staged rebounds driven by market expectations of marginal fundamental corrections. By May 31, the maximum decline of the 09 contract in the first half of the year was about 25.26% [8]. - Before the Spring Festival, pre - holiday restocking pushed up prices. After the holiday, weak terminal consumption and increased production led to price drops. In March, trade barriers intensified the decline. In May, trade negotiations led to a small rebound, followed by another decline. In June, factors such as factory shutdowns, restocking by downstream players, and short - term profit - taking by short - sellers led to a price rebound [9]. 2. Fundamental Analysis 2.1 Cost Center Moves Down, Lithium Resource Exploration at Home and Abroad Accelerates - Lithium prices and associated ore prices declined, with different rates. Imported lithium spodumene concentrate prices fell from $747/ton at the beginning of the year to $644/ton on June 30, a decline of about 13.79%. Lithium mica prices declined more slowly, from 1,310 yuan/ton to 1,260 yuan/ton, a decline of about 3.82% [11]. - Lithium ore imports remained high, and import channels became more diversified. From January to May, the total import volume of lithium concentrate was 291.94 tons, with an increasing trend. Australia was still the main source, accounting for about 53.1%, while African imports increased, accounting for about 36.57% [12]. - Australian mines have abundant resources, but the incremental expectation is slowing. In the first quarter of 2025, the total production of lithium concentrate was about 800,000 tons, a year - on - year increase of about 6.98%. The weighted average cost decreased from $399.41/ton in Q4 2024 to $359.66/ton [13]. - African mines have limited incremental production this year but strong potential in the long term. Some mines are already at full - capacity production, and some new projects are in the process of ramping up production [14]. - Domestic resources are on the verge of development. Some domestic mines have started production or obtained mining licenses, and technological innovation has reduced the cost of extracting lithium from mica [14]. 2.2 Capacity Growth Slows, Supply Clearance Expected to Accelerate - Lithium salt capacity growth slowed down. From the beginning of the year to May, capacity increased from 1.963 million tons to 2.1486 million tons, an increase of about 9.45%, much lower than the 19.22% growth rate in the second half of 2024. Some projects have stopped construction [17]. - By June 27, the total production of lithium carbonate was about 409,300 tons. Production in Jiangxi and Hunan, mainly from mica - based lithium extraction, increased significantly, while production in Sichuan, mainly from spodumene - based extraction, was relatively stable. Salt - lake lithium extraction in Qinghai and Xinjiang also increased [17]. - From January to May 2025, lithium carbonate imports were 100,100 tons, a year - on - year increase of about 15.32%. Chile was the main source, accounting for about 66.52%. Some overseas salt - lake projects are ramping up production, and the proportion of low - cost lithium salt is expected to increase [20]. - Some domestic companies have capacity expansion or new - project plans. In the future, the clearance of high - cost capacity is expected to accelerate, but supply disruptions may occur frequently [21]. 2.3 Positive Electrode Material Market Expected to be Stable - Lithium Iron Phosphate: Prices declined. Power - type lithium iron phosphate prices dropped from 35,500 yuan/ton at the beginning of the year to 32,300 yuan/ton on June 30, a decline of about 9.01%. Energy - storage type prices dropped from 33,250 yuan/ton to 31,100 yuan/ton, a decline of about 6.46%. Capacity growth slowed down, but production and operating rates increased slightly. New capacity is shifting towards high - compaction products [28]. - Ternary Cathode Materials: Prices fluctuated. The price of 5 - series ternary materials increased from 130,100 yuan/ton at the beginning of the year to 138,400 yuan/ton on June 30, an increase of about 6.38%. The price of 8 - series materials increased slightly by about 0.14%. The increase in cobalt prices drove up the cost. Capacity growth was slightly positive, and production and operating rates were higher than last year. New capacity is moving towards high - nickel ternary materials [29][30]. 2.4 Terminal Consumption Resilience Questionable, Policies Force Car Manufacturers to Reduce Production Schedules - Domestic Market: From January to May, new - energy vehicle production was about 5.701 million vehicles, a year - on - year increase of about 45%, and sales were about 5.606 million vehicles, a year - on - year increase of about 44%. New - replacement subsidies drove consumption, accounting for about 30.49% of total sales in the first half of the year. However, if subsidies are excluded, 2025 consumption is similar to 2024. In the future, consumer willingness may be limited, and policies may pressure car manufacturers' cash flows and production schedules [32][33]. - Overseas Market: In Europe, from January to April, new - energy vehicle sales were about 1.1312 million vehicles, a year - on - year increase of about 23.32%. In the US, from January to May, sales were about 647,900 vehicles, a year - on - year increase of about 8.87%, and the market penetration rate declined. In the future, European carbon - emission policies may slow down the electrification process, and US tax - incentive policies may change [34]. 2.5 Warehouse Receipt Inventory May Be a Drag, No Industry - Driven De - stocking Expected - In the first half of the year, lithium carbonate inventory increased from 61,623 tons at the beginning of the year to 110,305 tons on June 27. Market inventory increased more significantly than factory inventory, indicating increased hedging demand during price declines. In the second half of the year, supply - demand growth is expected to slow down, and the decline in warehouse receipts may reduce inventory, but there is no expectation of industry - driven de - stocking [38]. 3. Conclusion - Cost and Supply: Lithium ore resources are abundant, and low - cost Australian mines have an advantage. Overseas and domestic exploration is progressing well. Supply oversupply is expected to continue, but capacity clearance may accelerate, and supply disruptions may occur frequently [41]. - Consumption: The resilience of power - terminal consumption is questionable, and the impact of growth - stabilization policies needs to be observed. The energy - storage market may remain hot in the third quarter, and the "rush - to - export" trend depends on foreign trade policies. Overall, prices are expected to decline under the logic of oversupply, but the downward path may not be smooth [41].
产能出清加速，锂价弱势震荡
Tong Guan Jin Yuan Qi Huo·2025-07-07 05:51