The year in review …
The year 2022 is rushing to a close, with all its jolts and revelations that we have been analyzing every week to see how they affect the industry and the economy at large. And the coming year is likely to be packed with events as well.
A roller coaster ride for nickel
2022 has been a trying year for all commodities, including nickel. The suspension of nickel trading on the London Metals Exchange (LME) for the first time since 1985 due to a technical glitch triggered by an unprecedented price spike, uncertainty around supplies from Russia and Indonesia, and the LME’s decision to hike initial margins by 28% were just a few of the many troubles encountered by market players.
You can’t have too much lithium
As we mentioned earlier this month, analysts did not anticipate a substantial rise in lithium-ion battery (LIB) prices in 2022, which were projected to grow only 2% YoY.