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Here are some of the key discussion topics across the battery and critical minerals sectors ahead of Fastmarkets’ Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials conference taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 22-25.

Few battery raw materials entered the 2020s with as much momentum as lithium hydroxide. As automakers raced toward electrification, the industry widely expected high-nickel batteries to dominate the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs). Lithium hydroxide, a critical raw material for nickel-rich cathodes, was projected to become one of the battery sector’s fastest-growing products.

US lumber yards substitute Southern Yellow Pine for dwindling Canadian and European softwood imports, impacting grade availability and market dynamics across the country.

The threat of new US tariffs has slightly reduced Brazilian softwood molding orders, but resilient market demand is preventing a major price drop.

As Mexico seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing supply chains and reduce its reliance on imported steel products, special bar quality (SBQ) steel has emerged as one of the segments offering the greatest growth potential for local producers, according to TYASA’s three chief executive officers, whom Fastmarkets sat down with in an exclusive interview to discuss the company’s new SBQ rolling mill.

Tissue jumbo/parent roll prices were largely unchanged in the United States in June, as higher domestic supply and steady demand kept the market balanced.