On 2 September 2026, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessed lithium hydroxide (battery grade, spot, CIF Asia) at $18,750 per tonne, lithium carbonate (battery grade, spot, CIF Asia) at $19,750 per tonne, and spodumene concentrate (6% Li2O, FOB Australia) at $2,254 per tonne. Hydroxide rose 2.7% week on week. Carbonate and spodumene each fell 0.8%. Chinese domestic prices rose across all grades while seaborne markets were mixed.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessed lithium hydroxide monohydrate (min 56.5%, battery grade, spot) at $18,750 per tonne, equivalent to $18.75 per kilogram, CIF Asia on 2 September 2026, up 2.7% week on week. CIF Asia is the delivery zone also labelled CIF CJK or CIF North Asia. The seaborne move followed the domestic Chinese market, where EXW China lithium hydroxide rose 2.3% to RMB 138,000-144,500 per tonne on higher NCM cathode and cell production. Hydroxide supply sits with fewer producers than carbonate, so the assessment responds more sharply to shifts in demand.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessed lithium carbonate (min 99.5%, battery grade, spot) at $19,750 per tonne, equivalent to $19.75 per kilogram, CIF Asia on 2 September 2026, down 0.8% week on week. CIF Asia is the delivery zone also labelled CIF CJK or CIF North Asia. The seaborne decline ran against the Chinese domestic market, where EXW China battery grade carbonate rose 0.3% to RMB 150,300-160,500 per tonne, supported by seasonal demand and the revocation of the environmental impact assessment at CATL's Jianxiawo mine. Sentiment softened late in the period on reports that CATL would curtail cell production, particularly for NCM. Seaborne buyers stayed out through the late August lull, with rising freight costs and uncertainty over Chinese supply limiting procurement.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessed spodumene concentrate (6% Li2O, FOB Australia) at $2,254 per tonne on 2 September 2026, down 0.8% week on week. Feedstock availability loosened as Chinese converters completed maintenance and arrivals of Zimbabwean material increased, outweighing support from firmer Chinese chemical prices. An auction heard after the close of the assessment period cleared at $2,277 per tonne FOB Australia, inside the assessed range of $2,205-2,302 per tonne.

Benchmark's CIF Asia assessments cover seaborne material delivered to main Chinese, Japanese and South Korean ports, the same delivery zone other agencies label CIF CJK or CIF North Asia. Prices are quoted in USD per tonne; the per-kilogram equivalent is shown for comparison with exchange-traded conventions.