Argus-assessed prices for 6pc-grade lithium concentrate (spodumene) fell to $810-850/t cif China on 1 April from $815-855/t cif China a week earlier. Most consumers managed to push spodumene purchase prices down because salts prices have been on a downtrend since early February.

Prices for 99.5pc-grade lithium carbonate were assessed at 73,400-75,000 yuan/t ex-works on 1 April, unchanged from 31 March but down from Yn73,500-75,500/t ex-works on 27 March. A 150t deal was concluded at Yn73,600/t ex-works on 1 April. Sufficient supply continued to pressure carbonate prices. China's largest battery producer, CATL, restarted its Jianxiawo lithium lepidolite (concentrate) dressing operations in early February following output suspensions in September. The operation has a concentrate capacity of 60,000 t/yr of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) from two dressing lines.

A 30,000 t/yr LCE dressing line restarted concentrate production in the first half of February, and another line with 30,000 t/yr of LCE capacity resumed output in the first half of March, according to market participants. But CATL has yet to resume production at the Jianxiawo mine and is securing lepidolite ore from local mines, market participants said.

The most-traded May lithium carbonate contracts on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange dipped to Yn74,360/t on 1 April from Yn74,380/t on 27 March, Yn75,400/t on 18 March and Yn76,800/t on 6 March, with traded quantities totalling 77,235t on 1 April.

Import prices for 99.5pc-grade lithium carbonate fell to $9.00-9.15/kg cif China on 1 April from $9.08-9.20/kg cif China on 27 March, because increasing supplies from Chile and Argentina weighed on imported carbonate prices. A 100t deal was concluded at $9/kg cif China on 1 April.

Prices for 60pc-grade lithium cobalt oxide remained unchanged at Yn205-220/kg ex-works on 1 April from 25 March, in line with stable cobalt tetroxide feedstock prices. Most consumers operated from inventories.

Argus-assessed prices for 56.5pc-grade hydroxide held stable at Yn68,200-77,200/t ex-works on 1 April from 27 March. Producers held firm on current offers, as shrinking profit margins weighed on demand from the ternary cathode active material sector in the industry's low season.

Export prices dropped to $9.90-10.50/kg fob China on 1 April from $10.10-10.60/kg fob China on 27 March, affected by lower demand from the overseas market. China exported 7,545t of lithium hydroxide in January-February, mainly to South Korea and Japan, down sharply by 59pc from a year earlier.

Prices for southern African 5.5pc lithium concentrate were assessed as unchanged, at $710-765/t fob southern Africa on 1 April, with limited spot trading activity having been recorded throughout the month. Deliveries from African projects have slowed since the beginning of this year on a global oversupply of lithium feedstocks.