China Looks Short Lithium Again. Go Long? (Paul Lusty)
Author: rockstockchannel
April 11, 2026
Duration: 59:44
Paul Lusty, Head of Battery Raw Materials Research at Fastmarkets, breaks down what he heard at the Shanghai Battery Raw Materials Conference and what it means for lithium, battery storage, and the broader battery materials market. The discussion covers tightening lithium supply, Zimbabwe export risks, rising spot prices, China demand signals, and why battery materials beyond lithium may also be turning higher.
A timely conversation on market sentiment, supply chain risk, and what investors may still be missing.
Register for Fastmarkets Conference: https://globalevents.fastmarkets.com/lithium-supply-and-battery-raw-materials-conference
Follow Fastmarkets:X - https://x.com/FastmarketsMMLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fastmarketsmm/
Chapters
(00:00) Intro(04:50) Guest Introduction(08:50) Lithium Price Impact(11:31) Battery Utilization Trends(12:58) Energy Storage Growth(16:17) Zimbabwe Supply Risks(21:14) Global Supply Response(23:57) China Supply Concerns(26:53) Restarting Idle Capacity(29:53) Lithium Sulfate Potential(33:37) Graphite Market Outlook(35:52) Manganese Demand Drivers(39:24) Cobalt Supply Tightness(44:59) Nickel Cost Pressures(49:25) Broad Commodity Strength(51:30) Equity Market Disconnect(52:55) Converter Margin(55:18) China Global Strategy(58:41) Closing Thoughts
Sponsors
Lithium Royalty Corp (TSX: LIRC) Diversified lithium royalty portfolio Website: https://www.lithiumroyaltycorp.com/X: https://x.com/Lithium_Royalty
USCF Investments Commodity-focused ETFs, including CPER (copper), ZSB (battery metals), USG (gold), and SDCI (diversified commodities) Website: https://www.uscfinvestments.com/X: https://x.com/USCFInvestments
Links
Sign up for the Lithium-Ion Bull newsletter / Matt’s blogs: https://rkequity.com/
Questions: rockstockchannel@rkequity.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rockstockchannel
Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lithium-ion-rocks/id1457969172Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KiMIZOPaDg8ENfPJMSINq
Follow us on X (Twitter):Howard: https://x.com/LithiumIonBullMatt: https://x.com/matt_fernleyRodney: https://x.com/RodneyHooper13
_________________________________________________
DISCLAIMER
NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.
Howard, Matt, and Rodney are not financial advisors or broker-dealers. This video is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment or financial advice. Please conduct your own independent research and read the disclaimer at the end of the video or on RK Equity’s website: https://www.rkequity.com
Intro and outro audio credit: Jamie Klein