Lithium price slips again in China as Albemarle, SQM slide before the bell
Battery-grade lithium carbonate — the refined chemical essential for lithium-ion batteries — kept sliding in China Monday. The Shanghai Metals Market index dropped to 154,434 yuan per metric ton, according to SMM. Prices for battery-grade material ranged between 145,000 and 166,000 yuan a ton, while industrial-grade traded slightly lower at 142,000 to 162,000 yuan, SMM noted. China’s top lithium carbonate futures contract wavered sharply in a 132,400-152,800 yuan band as upstream sellers stayed cautious and downstream buyers probed for cheaper deals.