Reducing reliance on China’s hugely successful critical minerals supply chain dominance was never going to be easy, as some western mining companies are finding out the hard way.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-CO-0021 Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China assessment on Wednesday December 12 was delayed because of an approver error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

Get the key takeaways from our recent webinar on the global outlook for the battery raw materials (BRM) market in 2025.

Europe’s hopes of an independent battery supply chain are in jeopardy, some market participants said, after a recent spate of company announcements that were widely regarded as bearish for the burgeoning sector.

Unlike most other commodities, cobalt is primarily a by-product – with 60% derived from copper and 38% from nickel – so how will changes in those markets change the picture for cobalt in the coming months following a year of price weakness and oversupply in 2024?

View the Fastmarkets holiday non-ferrous pricing schedule for 2025.

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)-audited non-ferrous metals, via an open consultation process between October 8 and November 7, 2024. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process.

Li-Cycle has successfully closed on an upsized loan from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support the development of the its Rochester Hub Project, the company announced alongside its third-quarter earnings report on Thursday November 7.

Read Fastmarkets' monthly battery raw materials market update for November 2024, focusing on raw materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and more

As the dust settles in Washington and Americans wake up to news that Donald Trump is once again president-elect, participants in the cobalt market discuss the wider ramifications on a crucial coming four years for the electric vehicle (EV) industry.