SQM Squeezes Lithium Market, Chinese Buyers Lose Out March 4, 2019 SQM plans to withhold 17% of its annual Chilean lithium carbonate production this year in response to expanding global supply and to “have more strategic inventory” according to CEO Ricardo Ramos. Chilean exports of the electric vehicle battery material have already been in decline as shown by... Read more →
Lithium Shakeup Ahead With Prospect of More China Sales for SQM, More U.S. For FMC October 22, 2018 Chile’s courts are set to rule on Tianqi Lithium’s purchase of SQM this week from Nutrien. The result could shake up the global lithium supply chain and continues a trend of both miners and buyers (such as auto-makers) attempting to secure ownership of battery components. Chilean exports of li... Read more →
FMC Plans IPO As Lithium Export Values Soar, Chilean Risks Mount August 29, 2018 FMC plans to sell a 20% stake in its lithium mining subsidiary, Livent, for $100 million. Livent sources from Argentina at a time when Chilean supplies, led by SQM, face potential disruption from water shortages. Chilean exports surged 14% in the second quarter in volume terms, led by a 48% ju... Read more →