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.

Investment shortfalls, aggravated by recent poor performance in commodities markets, political and economic instability and surging demand, have sown the seeds for the next commodity bull cycle, leading to “metal shocks” in a similar vein to the “oil shocks” of the 1970s, according to economist Philippe Gijsels, chief strategy officer at BNP Paribas Fortis.

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.

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order to implement tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China on Saturday February 1, sparking swift retaliation and sending world trade into uncharted territory.

The Western world’s industrial strength is beginning to drop, but Jakob Stausholm, chief executive officer of Rio Tinto, said at a London Metal Exchange seminar that there was “plenty of demand to be unlocked from reindustrialization.”

The Vancouver, Canada-based Lithium Americas (LAC) entered into a new $625-million investment agreement with the US automaker General Motors (GM) for establishing a joint venture to fund, develop, construct and operate LAC’s Thacker Pass lithium mine, the company announced on Wednesday October 16.

Amid the rising focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, the Australian mining industry faces a conundrum: maintain production at competitive levels or promote rigorous ESG standards