In a year that has witnessed an exceptionally volatile nickel market, Myra Pinkham collects expert metal analysts' views on the causes and their opinions on the outlook for the vital base metal now

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its nickel sulfate ex-works China price via an open consultation process between April 22 and May 20, 2022. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process

Fastmarkets used the London Metal Exchange base metals prices at 9:41am London time for the arbitrage calculations on Monday May 23, because there was no data available at 8:00am due to a system error.

Participants in China's battery raw materials market are still struggling to recover from the latest Covid-19 outbreak in the country and the related lockdown measures imposed to prevent further spread of the virus

Availability and the costs of trucking are now starting to significantly impact the flow of material in continental Europe, putting pressures on supply chains and keeping base metals premiums elevated, participants have told Fastmarkets

Surging prices for battery raw materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite, and the supply/demand imbalance from the lack of investment extraction and production were key topics from our recent risk outlook webinar

The build-up of Shanghai bonded copper stocks continued in April, albeit at a slower pace, with restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 disrupting logistics, particularly earlier in the month

Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI) has taken “decisive procurement actions to create a near-term price-protected nickel safety stock,” company chairman, president and chief executive officer Robert Wetherbee said in a conference call on Wednesday May 4.

Hotter on metals

Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its assessment of the price of nickel sulfate ex-works mainland China, as part of a methodology review process to meet the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles.