Trade tensions and critical minerals: 2025 outlook on disruptions, supply chain diversification, and local production strategies.

Market feedback shows that these two commodities see active spot liquidity and great price volatility. Therefore, a higher assessment frequency enables Fastmarkets to reflect their spot market dynamics in a more timely manner. The new specifications for the prices are as follows, with the amendment in italics: MB-LI-0036 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, […]

Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on its pricing methodology and product specifications for non-ferrous materials and industrial minerals, as part of its announced annual methodology review process.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ Mineral Sands Monthly price assessments for Thursday October 3 was delayed to 17:51 from 16:00 due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-LI-0012 spodumene min 6% Li2O, spot price, which was published incorrectly on Wednesday September 25.

Fastmarkets will postpone the discontinuation its lithium contract price assessments until the end of 2024, instead of the original discontinuation scheduled for October 2024.

Fastmarkets will launch a monthly price assessment for graphite flake 94% C, -100 mesh, cif US ports, $/tonne on Thursday October 3.

Delays in US policy support for its domestic anode supply chain have made investment decisions harder, even as expectations for a medium-term supply shortage persist, Shaun Verner, chief executive officer of Australia-listed Syrah Resources, told Fastmarkets in an interview in August

CMOC expects its growth rate of cobalt supply to gradually ease in the second half of 2024, the company said on August 23. Market participants, however, were divided in their response to the announcement, with some expecting the output reduction to alleviate the current imbalance between supply and demand in parts of the market.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ Graphite amorphous 80% C, -200 mesh prices for Thursday, August 15 were delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.