Prices of all chemistries of cathode active material fell throughout Q3 2026, driven by across the board declines in raw material prices. “Q3 extended the broad cathode softening that closed out Q2,” said Frederick Bloomfield, a senior price analyst at Benchmark. “This quarter has been almost entirely characterised by cobalt bearishness weighing on feedstock prices and thus lowering the price of cobalt-containing CAM. Moreover, the growing discrepancy between what LFP producers are reporting about costs versus what LFP cathode prices actually did piqued curiosity”

A commission convened by Panama’s government to decide how to manage the country’s controversial Cobre Panama copper mine has recommended 25 years of operation but without expanding the site’s physical footprint. The mine, run by First Quantum Minerals, was closed in 2023 after it was ruled unconstitutional following protests against its operation. The report also recommends steadily shrinking the existing footprint over this time, before eight years of “active closure” and 30 years of post-closure monitoring. Other non-negotiable criteria for reopening the site include compliance with existing Supreme Court rulings and laws around the project, ownership by the state, and the project must be financially self-sustaining. The report also calls for data transparency and supervision of the site to international standards, and priority given to concerns among affected Panamanian communities and businesses.

Adam Webb , Head of Battery Raw Materials , Benchmark Mineral Intelligence; David Dickson, CEO , Lake Resources; Alawi Swabury , CEO , Africa Battery Initiative (ABI); Daniel Li , Director of Public Relations , Tinci

Both lithium chemical and feedstock prices fell notably across Q3 2026, extending the lithium price correction that began in Q2. A volatile decline through July gave way to a notable August rally, before a sharp September reversal that erased the quarter's gains in a matter of days.