FUNTI's daily electric motorcycle market brief for October 14, 2026: raw material prices, overseas market regulation and China export data, compiled from public sources for importers, distributors and fleet operators.
FUNTI MARKET INTELLIGENCE · October 14, 2026
① Today's Highlights
- China's NEV export VAT rebate enters a downward channel: MOF and STA Announcement No. 29 of 2026 provides that from 1 April 2027 the VAT export rebate rate for new-energy vehicles will be cut from 13% to 9%, with the exact product scope defined by the attached NEV Product List; for products subject to consumption tax, the export consumption-tax policy is unchanged (MOF/STA, 2026-10-12). Takeaway: 1 April 2027 becomes the new quotation cut-off, and whether two-wheelers/e-motorcycles fall into the "NEV Product List" must be verified HS-code by HS-code against the annex — do not assume.
- Policy and customs check: no new documents on two-wheeler export tariffs or destination-market access surfaced today from customs, commerce authorities or industry channels, and the only usable new item sits on the fiscal side — the rebate adjustment above (public information, 2026-10-14). Takeaway: the only policy item worth tracking today is the rebate list.
② Raw Materials & FX
- FX: the 14 October central parity, published at 09:15, was not yet available when this report was issued (about 08:20); the latest verifiable fix remains 6.7298 on 13 October. Bank quotes show Bank of China's 14 October USD spot buying rate at 668.17, spot selling at 670.98 and BOC conversion at 672.98 (RMB per 100 USD); EUR spot selling 752.43, THB 20.03, VND conversion 0.0258, PHP 10.77, MXN 36.79 (CFETS/Bank of China, 2026-10-13 to 10-14). Takeaway: the USD settlement rate remains slightly firm (unfavourable for export pricing); keep USD order calculations within the 6.72—6.75 band and mark every client quote "subject to the central parity on the day".
- Flagged move · lithium carbonate breaks below RMB 110,000/t: Shanghai Securities News framed 14 October as "below RMB 110,000/t — lithium carbonate at another crossroads, energy storage may become the core demand engine"; in the overnight session of 14 October, lithium carbonate led the decliners, falling more than 1% (Shanghai Securities News/East Money, 2026-10-14). The latest verifiable spot print is 12 October: Shanghai Metals Market battery-grade lithium carbonate mid-price RMB 115,500/t (down RMB 6,950 from the previous session), industrial-grade RMB 112,000 (SMM, 2026-10-12). Takeaway: the RMB 110,000 line has flipped from support to resistance. Cost impact: at a transmission coefficient of 0.006~0.008 RMB/Wh of cell cost per RMB 10,000/t; this period's spot is about RMB 5,000/t below last week's high, equal to roughly −0.003~−0.004 RMB/Wh of cell cost — for our 72V range about RMB −6~−8 per 27Ah pack, RMB −9~−12 per 42Ah pack and RMB −15~−20 per 67Ah pack (about −0.4%~−0.6%), i.e. the cost direction is downward. Action: lock long-term contracts in tranches below RMB 110,000/t (one quarter to one third of quarterly volume per tranche) and keep a "subject to market" or staged pricing clause for the battery line; do not lock a full quarter at once.
- Copper and aluminium: overnight LME copper prices fell on 14 October; among that day's domestic futures decliners, alumina dropped more than 2%, while cast aluminium and SHFE zinc fell more than 1% (Sina Finance/East Money, 2026-10-14). The latest verifiable spot print is 12 October Yangtze River Nonferrous: copper RMB 112,040/t (up RMB 270), aluminium RMB 23,800/t (Yangtze River Nonferrous, 2026-10-12). Cost impact: copper accounts for 50%~60% of main-harness cost and 20%~30% of motor enamel wire, so softer copper is a mild positive for harness and motor copper (typically single-digit RMB per unit); aluminium accounts for 10%~15% of frame, wheel and housing cost, and with aluminium broadly flat, aluminium-part costs are unchanged for now. Action: buy harness and motor copper in tranches as needed without fixing prices; negotiate aluminium parts at prevailing prices.
- Sensitivity note: silicon steel, NdFeB and LiPF6 account for 25%~35% of motor cost, over 30% of permanent-magnet motor cost and over 60% of electrolyte cost respectively; today's search returned no new quotes for steel, silicon steel, NdFeB, LiPF6 or separators, so long-cycle quotations must retain a raw-material price-adjustment clause (public information, 2026-10-14).
③ Overseas Markets
- China–EU trade returns to structured consultation: the second meeting of the China–EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism, held in Beijing on 8–9 October, produced a "list of consensus outcomes"; both sides confirmed they will continue to explore, within the WTO framework, the possibility of lowering tariffs on certain goods, covering hybrid-vehicle trade and rare-earth exports, and agreed to hold the third meeting in March 2027 and a ministerial video conference in January 2027 (MOFCOM/China News Service, 2026-10-09). Takeaway: the China–EU tariff issue has moved from confrontation onto a consultation track; mid- to long-term quotations for Europe can include a "subject to tariff implementation" clause.
- Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia check: no newly issued official documents on two-wheeler import tariffs, certification or subsidies were found for 14 October; Indonesia's local-content (TKDN) requirement, Vietnam's new battery standard for e-motorcycles, Brazil's CKD quota and 2026 35% CBU tariff, and Mexico's additional tariffs on Asian goods all remain in force with no new official statements (public information, 2026-10-14). Takeaway: there is no new destination-market policy variable today, and per-shipment certificate checks before dispatch remain the first action.
FUNTI · Taizhou Fangxiang Technology Co., Ltd.
Daily electric motorcycle market brief for importers, distributors and fleet operators. Figures are compiled from public market sources and industry associations; verify before commercial use.
