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.

Spodumene prices rose on Wednesday November 6 as Chinese lithium producers restocked, but news of the US election result late in the session weakened sentiment.

Non-Chinese graphite producers were measured in their reaction to Donald Trump’s re-election on Wednesday November 6, predicting an unclear net impact of his potential policies on the build-out of supply chains for the battery raw material outside of China.

A trade group representing the US steel industry and a selection of executives with exposure to the automotive sector have highlighted their needs for the incoming second administration of new president-elect Donald Trump.

Steel market participants in both the North and Latin American markets are keeping tabs on the impact of trade relations with China in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential elections.

Donald Trump has previously said he plans to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), at least partially, and rescind its unspent funds.

Cleveland-Cliffs expects 2025 to be a strong year for the company, citing decreasing interest rates, certainty after the US elections and an increase in manufacturing onshoring, top executives said in the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday November 5.

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Thursday October 31 a further $44.8 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for eight projects to lower the costs of recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries and EV battery components to ultimately decrease overall EV costs.

The polls officially opened in the US on Tuesday November 5 for the presidential election pitting incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

As the US heads to the polls to vote for its next presidential candidate in what many have characterized as one of the closest races in electoral history, the energy sector hangs in the balance.