Growing demand for lithium compounds used in lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide over the past three years has prompted lithium producers to expand total production while diversifying their investments in different lithium operations to ramp up production faster and diminish asset risk.
Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco believes restarting operations at its Chuquicamata smelter in late April is still feasible with ramp-up happening in the second half of May, although market participants are expecting it to resume in June or July.
A summary of the monthly copper output from different mines in the major production hub of Chile for February 2019, as well as the month-on-month and year-on-year differences.
Healthy growth in nickel demand from the stainless steel and battery sectors and shrinking inventories on the Shanghai Futures Exchange and London Metals Exchange bode well for nickel prices, according to Macquarie Capital senior commodities consultant Jim Lennon.
Cobalt prices rose again on Wednesday April 10 as buyers have continued to restock while encountering newfound metal tightness into the second quarter of this year.