| Date | August 26, 2026 |
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Taipei — Aug 25, 2026- InfoLink's latest Energy Storage Supply Chain Price Forecast Report shows continued price corrections across the lithium salt and energy storage supply chains, as market expectations increasingly turn toward longer-term supply recovery. InfoLink has also lowered its 2027 supply-demand outlook for the first time, now projecting a slight surplus.
Lithium prices lead the decline: Battery-grade lithium carbonate falls 10.3% month over month
InfoLink notes that market focus has gradually shifted from near-term inventory drawdowns toward expectations of longer-term supply recovery and a potential surplus in 2027. The average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate is projected to remain around RMB 140,000 per tonne in August, before recovering slightly to RMB 145,000–150,000 per tonne in September and October, supported by peak-season demand and near-term restocking. Looking ahead to 2027, the market is expected to remain slightly oversupplied, with prices potentially easing gradually to RMB 110,000–130,000 per tonne in the first half of the year.
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Energy storage cells: Average prices for mainstream high-capacity cells fall to RMB 0.360/Wh
Lower costs continued to push cell prices down. In July, the tax-inclusive average price of 280 Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage cells fell 4.0% month over month to RMB 0.360/Wh, while 314 Ah cells also averaged RMB 0.360/Wh, down 4.0%. The average price of 100 Ah products stood at RMB 0.443/Wh, down 2.7% month over month. Meanwhile, the price of LFP cathode material for energy storage fell to RMB 52,700 per tonne, bringing the tax-inclusive cost of energy storage cells down to around RMB 0.312/Wh.
China’s energy storage cell exports: FOB average prices at USD 50–51/kWh
In July, the average FOB price of China's exports of 280 Ah, 306 Ah, and 314 Ah LFP energy storage cells stood at USD 50.3/kWh, USD 51.0/kWh, and USD 50.0/kWh, respectively. Overall declines were smaller than those in China’s domestic market.
Policy focus: China’s battery consumption tax and U.S. tariffs shape costs
Under China’s new battery consumption tax policy, lithium-ion batteries will be subject to a 2% consumption tax starting September 1, 2026, rising to 4% from September 1, 2027. From late July 2026, the combined U.S. tariff rate of around 40.9% can be used as a baseline assumption when estimating costs for China-origin lithium-ion battery systems for energy storage.