DCE iron ore futures continued to fall today. The main contract I2409 closed at 849. an decrease of 1.91% throughout the day; some traders were negative to sell,

Today's lithium carbonate market saw a minor decrease, with the SMM index at 110,714 yuan/ton (~$15,270.90 USD/ton) and futures dropping by 2.14%.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on Apr 23, 2024

Lithium carbonate prices declined slightly in the week ending April 18. From mid to late March, production rebounded as lithium salt producers resumed operations post-maintenance and driven by a desire to restore profitability. This increase in production, along with lithium carbonate imports from Chile, significantly enhanced market supply. However, demand growth has not kept pace and has slowed compared to March. Although liquidity in the spot market for lithium carbonate has improved, it remains constrained.

The traded prices of nickel sulphate held stable last week, with an average discount of 100 yuan/mt against the SMM nickel sulphate price index. However, as upstream and downstream were in price negotiations, the price index fluctuated largely. The rising nickel prices pushed up costs, but the downstream rejected higher prices as supply and demand tensions eased compared with last month. In addition, the raw material discount coefficient loosened last week, causing the price index to fluctuate.