But don't take it from me...Published by Trading Economics;
Lithium carbonate prices in China have sunk to a 13-month low of CNY 357,500 per tonne in early March, losing 40% of their value in the last three months, pressured by an aggressive pullback in demand expectations and signs of strong supply. After subsidizing battery manufacturers and granting cash rewards to new electric vehicle purchases, the Chinese government halted incentives for the new energy auto sector in January and catalyzed a decline in demand for battery inputs by auto producers. The overproduction of batteries at the end of 2022 to take advantage of subsidies led top battery producer CATL to sell products at a steep discount this year, with the firm expecting carbonate prices to halve in the upcoming months. The tumble steepened as electric vehicle sales in China unexpectedly contracted. On the supply side, top producer Australia projected global output of lithium carbonate equivalent to reach 915,000 tonnes in 2023, a 32% rise from 2022’s estimate.