Nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) recovered after the Indonesian government announced lower nickel ore mining quotas for 2025. Prices peaked at $15,850 per tonne on 21 January 2025, having been at $15,000 at the start of the month, marking a 6% rise. Though rumours had circulated of the quota being as low […]
> Nickel prices spent much of Q3 2025 trading at five‑year lows even as intermediates surged, highlighting the deepening split between China‑led chemical demand and a structurally oversupplied global metal market. Nickel sulphate EXW China climbed 7% across the quarter to RMB 27,800–28,020/t ($3,920–3951/t), its highest since March. Precursor and cathode producers rebuilt inventories in August and […]
> Payables for nickel in mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) have remained at elevated levels (84–86%) since April, according to the Benchmark Nickel Price Assessment. This is despite structural oversupply and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on nickel prices more broadly. Payables initially rose to a three-year high following extensive flooding at the Morowali Industrial Park, which caused a […]
> South Korea’s battery industry is one of the most developed and globally integrated ecosystems in the world. Yet beneath the surface of its technical leadership lies a sense of caution: competition from China is intensifying, margins are thin, and chemistry choices are shifting rapidly. A recent visit by Benchmark’s Lithium Product Director, Cameron Perks – […]
> As the dust settles on LME Week in London, Benchmark reviews some of the key themes that shaped discussions throughout the week and gauges sentiment across metal markets heading towards year end. Across the board, discussions reflected metal markets navigating shifting trade policy, supply-side disruption, and uneven demand recovery. Copper: Arbitrage and disruption dominate discussion […]
> Escalating unrest in Mali, as jihadi groups target fuel convoys around the capital Bamako, has led several governments including France and the US to advise their citizens to leave the country. The attacks have created fuel shortages, and raised serious concerns around the military government’s ability to maintain its rule in the country. Mali is […]
> Indonesia’s Forestry Task Force last week seized ~148 hectares of land occupied by PT Weda Bay Nickel in Halmahera, North Maluku, citing a lack of relevant permits. The move marks the first high-profile enforcement in the nickel sector since President Prabowo Subianto vowed to step up action against illegal mining in August. Officials said the […]
> Prices of all nickel chemicals, except Chinese nickel sulphate, rose briefly in mid April in response to sanctions by the US and the UK banning deliveries of Russian metal supplies for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions, which came into effect over the weekend, halted deliveries of any new Russian supplies of nickel to the […]
> South Korean steel and chemicals giant POSCO has taken a 30% stake in Australia’s Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) 50% stakes in the Mt Marion and Wodgina mines for US$765 million. Structured as a joint venture, the deal would see MinRes and POSCO hold an overall 35% and 15% of the operations, as well as corresponding rights […]