INFOGRAPHIC: Covid-19’s impact on cobalt supply, trade flows

It has been almost one year since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak and global economies are still recovering from the fallout. Fastmarkets analyzes the effects of the pandemic on global cobalt supply and trade flows.

What to read next
The DRC cobalt export ban has continued to reduce China’s cobalt intermediate imports in July 2025, driving tighter supply and higher prices. Meanwhile, Chinese cobalt metal exports remained stable despite ongoing market disruptions.
Electra Battery Materials Corp announced on Thursday July 31 that it is starting metallurgical testing on cobalt feedstocks at its historic Cobalt Camp in Ontario and at its Iron Creek, Idaho cobalt and copper project to expand North American supply of critical minerals contained in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
After a consultation period from June 20 to July 18, Fastmarkets made the decision to discontinue these assessments because the outright prices no longer reflect market conditions, with the market shifting toward payables as the dominant pricing method. The affected prices are:MB-NIO-0003 nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate outright price, cif China, Japan and South Korea, $ per tonneMB-NIO-0005 nickel […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-CO-0004 cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam and MB-CO-0005 cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam assessments for Wednesday July 23 was delayed because of a system error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
After an initial one-and-a-half-month consultation, followed by a further three-month consultation period on the proposed inclusion of a powder brand, and following market feedback and data analysis, Fastmarkets has determined that current market circumstances do not make the proposed amendment to the cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, daily price assessment viable. This decision is not a judgement on the […]
In the weeks following confirmation that the cobalt market will face an additional three months of no exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), metal prices have consolidated as participants point to the future for bullish sentiment.