As copper prices reach record highs and analysts warn of 'unsustainable deficits', we explore the key trends shaping the copper market

Payables for black mass in the CIF South Korea market inched down in July from the year-to-date highs recorded in June

Alaska-based Graphite One announced on Monday July 29 that it has entered into a non-binding supply agreement with California-headquartered EV maker Lucid Motors to advance its Graphite One Project mission of planning a complete US domestic supply chain for advanced graphite materials

Major chemical company BASF is pausing its plans to build a large refinery for battery recycling in Spain due to sluggish adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the EU, the firm said late last week

Rapidly expanding capacity for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries in the United States and Canada has raised worries over the supply of raw materials to feed processors in the region, sources have told Fastmarkets

Aluminum scrap generation in Europe is expected to decrease in the current quarter due to lower demand from downstream metal producers amid the domestic seasonal summer slowdown, according to the latest market overview from the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR)

The imminent production of commercial-scale battery-grade lithium hydroxide in the US by American Battery Technology Co (ABTC) will help domestic cathode makers to improve their inventory management by shortening lead times, according to the company’s top executive.

Price and supply were the major topics of conversation for market participants across the value chain attending Fastmarkets’ flagship Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials conference in Las Vegas on June 24-27

Payables for nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) black mass in the CIF Asia markets showed mixed trends in June

There have been challenges with high recovered paper costs and sluggish demand from China, while fine paper prices saw modest increases driven by higher shipping costs, impacting both local and Chinese markets.