Get started

LME nickel prices: The short squeeze

A summary of what happened to nickel trading in March and the impact this had on the publication and display of the LME nickel data on the Fastmarkets platform

April 14, 2022
Battery materials Nickel
  • What happened to nickel trading in March?
  • What is the LME methodology for nickel averages?
  • How to access LME nickel averages on Fastmarkets

During March, LME nickel trading was suspended and then disrupted once trading resumed. Watch this 16-minute summary with Callum Perry, European nickel reporter, and Ben Trotter, product director, describing what happened and the impact this had on the publication and display of the LME nickel data on the Fastmarkets platform.

What to read next
Architecture, Building, Factory
Ex-China midstream processing a bottleneck to supply chain diversification tailwinds, exec panel says: Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials 2026
The geopolitics-led diversification of critical minerals supply chains is broadly viewed as a tailwind to the lithium market, senior executives said during the Executive Keynote Panel at Fastmarkets’ Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials in Las Vegas on Tuesday June 23.
June 26, 2026
 · 
By Viral Shah
Outdoors, Nature, Countryside
Global talking points ahead of Fastmarkets’ Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials 2026 conference
Here are some of the key discussion topics across the battery and critical minerals sectors ahead of Fastmarkets’ Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials conference taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 22-25.
June 21, 2026
 · 
By Ewan Thomson
Lithium mine Nevada, California
From battery boom to surplus: The changing fundamentals of lithium hydroxide
Few battery raw materials entered the 2020s with as much momentum as lithium hydroxide. As automakers raced toward electrification, the industry widely expected high-nickel batteries to dominate the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs). Lithium hydroxide, a critical raw material for nickel-rich cathodes, was projected to become one of the battery sector’s fastest-growing products.
June 19, 2026
 · 
By Zihao Li
Delayed publication of Shanghai nickel full plate premiums: pricing notice
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
May 27, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Machine, Wheel, Spoke
How European automotive OEMs use independent market benchmarks to defend margins under CBAM and EU ETS pressure 
As CBAM and the EU ETS reshape cost structures across Europe’s automotive supply chains, OEMs are under growing pressure to protect margins while navigating opaque carbon pass-through.
May 22, 2026
 · 
By the Fastmarkets team
Proposal to amend frequency of cif Japan and Korea nickel sulfate assessments: pricing notice
The proposal follows Fastmarkets’ observations that the commodity sees inactive spot liquidity and low volatility in prices. The proposed new specifications for the prices are as follows, with the amendments in italics: MB-NI-0246 Nickel sulfate, cif Japan and Korea, $/tonneQuality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% […]
May 20, 2026
 · 
By Sybil Pan