Updated
Updated · Benchmark Source · May 22Cobalt Prices Hold Stable as China Inventories Offset Supply Risks and Soft Electronics Demand
3 articles · Updated · Benchmark Source · May 22
- Higher-than-expected inventories in China kept cobalt prices broadly stable even as supply disruptions emerged and upstream costs rose.
- Soft demand—especially from consumer electronics—has limited buying interest, with market participants seeing no clear recovery signal.
- Some producers have curtailed output in response, but the cuts have so far only tightened spot activity rather than lifting prices.
- That mix of hidden stockpiles, weak consumption and cautious purchasing is keeping the cobalt market balanced despite growing supply-side risks.
Is the cobalt market's current stability merely the calm before a major price storm? With DRC supply capped, which nation will win the race to control cobalt's future? Can cobalt-free batteries advance fast enough to make the DRC's supply caps irrelevant?