[ferro-alloys.com]Livent's 2019 contract prices will be "modestly higher" than in 2018, the CEO of the lithium producer in Argentina said Tuesday.

Formerly known as FMC Lithium, Livent usually does not renegotiate prices during the year, so the ongoing renegotiations should determine next year's levels, Paul Graves said during the Philadelphia-based company's third-quarter 2018 earnings call.

As for 2018, "we expect the average pricing to be 10% or more higher than 2017 on a full-year basis," he said, without elaborating.

Livent has already sold out all of its existing lithium hydroxide production and the "output from the new line that is being added in China is already committed to customers," Graves said.

The company is building a third 5,000 mt/year lithium hydroxide line in China that is expected to start commercial operations in the second quarter of next year.

A fourth line should be completed by the end of 2019, Livent said, leaving its installed lithium hydroxide capacity at 20,000 mt/year in China and 30,000 mt/year globally.

Livent is also expanding installed capacity aiming to reach 22,000 mt/year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in Argentina in 2019, targeting producing 19,000 mt/year of lithium carbonate and the remainder lithium chloride.

Argentinian production should total 21,000 mt of LCE this year, with lithium carbonate accounting for 18,000 mt.

Livent, which completed its initial public offering in October, reported a 19% year-on-year increase in net sales to $112 million in Q3. Higher shipments accounted for the most part of this jump (17%), while prices were responsible for 2% of this increase.

(G&P Global Platts）

• [Editor:王可]