Market sentiment for black mass sales to Asia was hit by weakening battery metal prices in the week to Friday June 14, but solid demand from the expanding South Korean market was lending support to the payables, sources told Fastmarkets.

Aluminium and lithium market participants told Fastmarkets the European Commission’s provisional additional duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are supportive for production but they were not convinced they would be enough to reverse the fortunes of the weakening domestic European auto market

The European Union announced on Wednesday June 12 that it will impose additional tariffs of up to 38.1% on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China from July 4.

Europe’s nascent synthetic graphite sector faces a double threat with China’s overcapacity persisting and US legislation embracing protectionism at the expense of a level playing field, according to the head of a forthcoming anode material producer in Europe

Read more from senior analyst Andy Farida on how the price action in LME nickel has played out in the first half of 2024

Fastmarkets provide an overview of lithium hydroxide’s recent global performance across key regions and offer insights into what 2024 might hold for battery manufacturers, energy sector analysts and lithium hydroxide buyers.

Payables for nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) black mass in the CIF Asia markets were firm in May despite volatility in battery raw material prices

Toronto, Canada-headquartered Lithium Ionic is on track to start operations at its hard-rock spodumene Bandeira project in Brazil in roughly two years, after it recently published its feasibility study and secured fresh funds to go ahead with the next phase

Read the key takeaways from our recent pricing and hedging strategies for energy storage stakeholders webinar, with insights from experts including Fastmarkets' own David Becker, Phoebe O'Hara and Renato Rostas

Spot lithium prices in China inched down over the week to Thursday May 30 amid ongoing limited appetite for spot materials and bearish sentiment on near-term demand, sources told Fastmarkets