China’s nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery output in June registered fell to 20.5 gigawatts hours (GWh), down by 1.5 GWh, or 6.8%, from the 22 GWh in May, and down by 3.7 GWh, or 15.3%, from the 24.2 GWh in March, according to the data from China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA)

Read on as Fastmarkets delves into a monthly market update, focusing on the dynamic and fast-evolving sector of battery raw materials

German chemical producer BASF announced on Monday June 24 that it will exit a $2.6 billion investment in a nickel-cobalt refining project in Weda Bay, Indonesia due to significant changes in the nickel market since the inception of the project

Here are the key insights from our conversation with Fastmarkets’ Paul Lusty on the future of the battery raw materials and electric vehicle markets

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

Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mixed in morning trading on Monday June 10, with three-month prices lacking direction amid thin traded volumes due a public holiday in China, the largest market for base metals

The base metals complex has been on a climb on futures exchanges globally but the surge is not reflected in physical markets, with buyers generally staying out of the market due to elevated prices, sources told Fastmarkets

Supply disruption and financial speculation helped most base metals prices hit 2024 highs in the week to Friday May 24, yet demand remains mostly muted

A host of Chinese battery manufacturers have been increasing their production of electrolytic nickel to reap gains from strong futures prices because the growth in downstream demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is slowing, Fastmarkets heard on Tuesday May 21

A wave of restocking throughout the first quarter of 2024 provided some relief in the ternary battery raw materials market in China, stopping the declines in prices for various products that had been seen late last year