Industry

  • As a key raw material for high-nickel ternary lithium batteries, the price of lithium hydroxide has continued to rise this year. As of May 21, domestic lithium hydroxide was quoted at 89,000 yuan per ton, which is a 22-week increase and the cumulative increase since the beginning of this year has reached 82%. According to analysis, in 2021, most of the newly-listed new energy vehicle batteries are high-nickel ternary lithium batteries, and the demand for battery-grade lithium hydroxide maintains high growth, and the upward price trend is expected to continue.
  • Affected by the epidemic, major steel companies in South Korea have reduced their production. Since 2021, due to the faster-than-expected recovery of the construction industry, the demand for rebar has surged, and the current national rebar inventory in South Korea is only 80% of the same period in 2020. The decline in production capacity and the increase in raw material prices have led to a rapid increase in the price of steel bars produced in Korea. The 10 mm diameter steel bar as a price indicator reached 970,000 won per ton, or about 5,544 yuan per ton on May 14, which was up nearly 50% from the end of last year. It was 2008. South Korea’s steel bars exceeded 900,000 won per ton for the first time after the year.

World

  • US President Biden’s team: proposed to reduce the size of the infrastructure and employment program by about a quarter to $1.7 trillion, hoping to gain support from Republicans who have been working hard to limit the size of the Biden program.

China

  • National Space Administration: Judging by the telemetry data, at 10:40 on May 22, the “Zhu Rong” rover safely left the landing platform and reached the surface of Mars. The rover will carry out environmental perception, fire movement and scientific exploration in the inspection area as planned.