Liberty Steel will idle operations at its Peoria, Illinois, facility starting Monday December 9 through "at least" February 3 "due to a shortage of wire rod and financial difficulties," an industry observer familiar with the company's operations said on Monday December 2.

Gallium, germanium and magnesium were listed among the top 10 priority materials that could face significant supply chain disruptions, according to a report published by the British Geological Survey (BGS)-hosted Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) on Thursday November 28.

The price of lithium is falling, but some Western companies have recently announced more investments in the Lithium Triangle – a region of South America comprising parts of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

The Lithium Triangle, a region of South America comprising Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, has proven potential in lithium production, but each country faces its own specific challenges.

The countries that comprise the Lithium Triangle currently control more than 50% of global lithium resources, with production concentrated in the salt flats regions of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, where there are lithium brine deposits.

Read more about the highlights from Fastmarkets’ annual Middle East Iron and Steel conference, which was held on 18-20 November in Dubai.

The news that President-elect Donald Trump is considering additional tariffs on goods from China as well as on all products from US trading partners Canada and Mexico has spurred alarm in the US aluminium market at a time that is usually known to be calm.

The merging of two of North America’s lithium producers, Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, aims to provide optionality over growth projects and enhance the companies’ strategic flexibility, according to Fastmarkets’ head of base metals and battery research William Adams.

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers have been reaching upstream to producers, beyond their agreements with their battery manufacturing partners, to secure North American supply for their production, battery materials and technology company Novonix’s chief executive officer Chris Burns told Fastmarkets

Insteel Wire Products Company announced it will cease operations at its factory in Warren, Ohio, next week.