Correspondent Dalton Barker recaps the week in the non-ferrous markets.

Large volume inquiries for spot cobalt units returned in the first half of the week, leaving market participants to suggest prices are close to bottoming out after 15 consecutive weeks of declines.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday August 15.

Warehouse queues emerged at London Metal Exchange-listed sheds in July after a surge in cancellations last month, especially in the exchange's aluminium inventory, according to LME data.

The electrification of vehicles and the need to store electricity generated by renewable energy sources - mainly solar and wind - point to huge demand for lithium-ion batteries.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were positively higher in the morning of Thursday August 9, with the complex up an average of 0.4%.

With available stocks at record lows, aluminium spreads on the London Metal Exchange are increasingly volatile.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday August 2.

Shortages last year of the ultra-high-performance graphite electrodes used by EAF-based steelmakers and some non-ferrous metal producers rapidly pushed up their price; Metal Bulletin asks Hidehito Takahashi, managing corporate officer of Showa Denko K.K. and general manager of the Carbon Division, about the market’s global dynamics and future.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday July 27.