[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":721},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/china-plans-to-stockpile-cobalt-after-price-rout":540},[4,52,82,112,148,186,228,259,296,328,371,412,450,481,510],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-27","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",411.01,408.51,0.61,75.85,175.57,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-05-13",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-04-29",372.51,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-04-15",354.35,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-04-01",346.55,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-03-18",351.32,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-03-04",346.6,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-02-18",324,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-02-04",337.67,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-01-21",298.32,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-01-07",233.73,{"date":46,"value":47},"2025-12-24",203.79,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",449.85,451.12,-0.28,77.12,181.56,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},404.38,{"date":22,"value":65},381.25,{"date":25,"value":67},371.52,{"date":28,"value":69},373.01,{"date":31,"value":71},366.63,{"date":34,"value":73},349.17,{"date":37,"value":75},356.81,{"date":40,"value":77},316.73,{"date":43,"value":79},253.98,{"date":46,"value":81},220.12,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",358.35,350.28,2.3,76.32,168.94,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},328.09,{"date":22,"value":95},316.95,{"date":25,"value":97},311.86,{"date":28,"value":99},321.41,{"date":31,"value":101},319.14,{"date":34,"value":103},295.42,{"date":37,"value":105},310,{"date":40,"value":107},270.4,{"date":43,"value":109},203.24,{"date":46,"value":111},177.17,{"publishedDate":19,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":147,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",244.61,252.61,-3.17,3.99,97.72,[122,123,124,127,129,132,133,136,138,141,143,146],{"date":19,"value":116},{"date":25,"value":117},{"date":125,"value":126},"2026-03-25",252.45,{"date":28,"value":128},252.84,{"date":130,"value":131},"2026-03-11",253.48,{"date":31,"value":126},{"date":134,"value":135},"2026-02-25",256.64,{"date":34,"value":137},255.58,{"date":139,"value":140},"2026-02-11",253.31,{"date":37,"value":142},252.26,{"date":144,"value":145},"2026-01-28",241.15,{"date":40,"value":145},"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":149,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":150,"today":151,"last":152,"percentageChange":153,"yearToDate":154,"yearOnYear":155,"oneYearIndexTrend":156,"url":185,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-20","Nickel",135.83,133.05,2.09,12.5,30.68,[157,158,160,163,166,168,170,172,174,176,179,182],{"date":149,"value":151},{"date":159,"value":152},"2026-05-06",{"date":161,"value":162},"2026-04-22",125.43,{"date":164,"value":165},"2026-04-08",124.51,{"date":125,"value":167},123.94,{"date":130,"value":169},123.51,{"date":134,"value":171},122.7,{"date":139,"value":173},123.79,{"date":144,"value":175},128.07,{"date":177,"value":178},"2026-01-14",120.74,{"date":180,"value":181},"2025-12-31",104.29,{"date":183,"value":184},"2025-12-17",103.44,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":189,"today":190,"last":191,"percentageChange":192,"yearToDate":193,"yearOnYear":194,"oneYearIndexTrend":195,"url":227,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-04-30","monthly","Natural Graphite",82.93,82.39,0.66,1.66,-0.87,[196,197,199,202,205,207,210,212,215,218,221,224],{"date":187,"value":190},{"date":198,"value":191},"2026-03-31",{"date":200,"value":201},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":203,"value":204},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":180,"value":206},81.58,{"date":208,"value":209},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":211,"value":209},"2025-10-31",{"date":213,"value":214},"2025-09-30",81.74,{"date":216,"value":217},"2025-08-29",81.56,{"date":219,"value":220},"2025-07-31",82.47,{"date":222,"value":223},"2025-06-30",83.13,{"date":225,"value":226},"2025-05-30",83.77,"/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":229,"today":230,"last":231,"percentageChange":232,"yearToDate":233,"yearOnYear":234,"oneYearIndexTrend":235,"url":258,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",84.01,79.79,5.29,12.86,12.75,[236,237,238,240,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,256],{"date":187,"value":230},{"date":198,"value":231},{"date":200,"value":239},75.72,{"date":203,"value":241},74.61,{"date":180,"value":243},74.44,{"date":208,"value":245},76,{"date":211,"value":247},72.75,{"date":213,"value":249},71.92,{"date":216,"value":251},71.46,{"date":219,"value":253},70.35,{"date":222,"value":255},67.35,{"date":225,"value":257},65.78,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":260,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":261,"today":262,"last":263,"percentageChange":264,"yearToDate":265,"yearOnYear":265,"oneYearIndexTrend":266,"url":295,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-11-17","Anode",77.79,77.96,-0.22,-1.93,[267,268,270,272,274,277,280,282,284,287,290,292],{"date":260,"value":262},{"date":269,"value":263},"2025-10-15",{"date":271,"value":263},"2025-09-15",{"date":273,"value":263},"2025-08-15",{"date":275,"value":276},"2025-07-15",77.93,{"date":278,"value":279},"2025-06-16",78.88,{"date":281,"value":279},"2025-05-15",{"date":283,"value":279},"2025-04-15",{"date":285,"value":286},"2025-03-17",79.89,{"date":288,"value":289},"2025-02-17",78.97,{"date":291,"value":289},"2025-01-15",{"date":293,"value":294},"2024-12-16",79.32,"/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":297,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":298,"today":299,"last":300,"percentageChange":301,"yearToDate":301,"yearOnYear":302,"oneYearIndexTrend":303,"url":327,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-01-15","Cathode",72.79,64.08,13.59,43.38,[304,305,307,309,311,313,315,317,318,320,322,325],{"date":297,"value":299},{"date":306,"value":300},"2025-12-15",{"date":260,"value":308},62.01,{"date":269,"value":310},53.51,{"date":271,"value":312},49.5,{"date":273,"value":314},47.28,{"date":275,"value":316},46.05,{"date":278,"value":316},{"date":281,"value":319},48.08,{"date":283,"value":321},48.92,{"date":323,"value":324},"2025-03-18",52.79,{"date":288,"value":326},50.86,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":329,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":330,"today":331,"last":332,"percentageChange":333,"yearToDate":334,"yearOnYear":335,"oneYearIndexTrend":336,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[337,338,340,343,346,349,352,355,358,361,364,367],{"date":329,"value":331},{"date":339,"value":332},"2025-02-28",{"date":341,"value":342},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":344,"value":345},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":347,"value":348},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":350,"value":351},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":353,"value":354},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":356,"value":357},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":359,"value":360},"2024-07-31",82.99,{"date":362,"value":363},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":365,"value":366},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":368,"value":369},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":372,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":373,"today":374,"last":375,"percentageChange":376,"yearToDate":377,"yearOnYear":378,"oneYearIndexTrend":379,"url":411,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-21","Black Mass",54.15,51.47,5.21,25.5,92.33,[380,381,383,386,389,392,395,398,401,404,406,408],{"date":372,"value":374},{"date":382,"value":375},"2026-05-07",{"date":384,"value":385},"2026-04-23",48.63,{"date":387,"value":388},"2026-04-09",48.6,{"date":390,"value":391},"2026-03-26",47.29,{"date":393,"value":394},"2026-03-12",46.18,{"date":396,"value":397},"2026-02-26",45.8,{"date":399,"value":400},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":402,"value":403},"2026-01-29",49.57,{"date":297,"value":405},43.15,{"date":180,"value":407},47.05,{"date":409,"value":410},"2025-12-18",41.51,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":413,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":414,"today":415,"last":416,"percentageChange":417,"yearToDate":418,"yearOnYear":419,"oneYearIndexTrend":420,"url":449,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-03-19","Rare Earths",172.27,182.38,-5.54,20.73,54.49,[421,422,424,427,430,432,435,437,440,443,445,447],{"date":413,"value":415},{"date":423,"value":416},"2026-03-05",{"date":425,"value":426},"2026-02-19",179.86,{"date":428,"value":429},"2026-02-05",155.4,{"date":431,"value":429},"2026-01-22",{"date":433,"value":434},"2026-01-08",145.37,{"date":46,"value":436},142.69,{"date":438,"value":439},"2025-12-11",141.67,{"date":441,"value":442},"2025-11-27",136.29,{"date":211,"value":444},132.15,{"date":213,"value":446},139.82,{"date":216,"value":448},145.27,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":451,"today":452,"last":453,"percentageChange":454,"yearToDate":455,"yearOnYear":456,"oneYearIndexTrend":457,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",111.93,124.92,-10.4,-2.67,-3.42,[458,459,460,462,464,466,469,471,473,475,477,479],{"date":213,"value":452},{"date":216,"value":453},{"date":219,"value":461},109.9,{"date":222,"value":463},100.47,{"date":225,"value":465},103.62,{"date":467,"value":468},"2025-04-30",109.47,{"date":329,"value":470},115.87,{"date":339,"value":472},117.3,{"date":341,"value":474},114.57,{"date":344,"value":476},115,{"date":347,"value":478},117.82,{"date":350,"value":480},111.9,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":482,"today":483,"last":484,"percentageChange":485,"yearToDate":486,"yearOnYear":487,"oneYearIndexTrend":488,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",99.44,96.91,2.61,2.37,-3.84,[489,490,491,493,495,497,499,501,503,505,506,508],{"date":213,"value":483},{"date":216,"value":484},{"date":219,"value":492},97.09,{"date":222,"value":494},94.93,{"date":225,"value":496},97.13,{"date":467,"value":498},97.89,{"date":329,"value":500},101.4,{"date":339,"value":502},93.25,{"date":341,"value":504},98.94,{"date":344,"value":496},{"date":347,"value":507},98.69,{"date":350,"value":509},101.87,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":511,"today":512,"last":513,"percentageChange":514,"yearToDate":515,"yearOnYear":516,"oneYearIndexTrend":517,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":719,"relatedVideos":720},112470564943869,"c13e0cb3-c5e9-4fec-a7f7-0535df46313c","China plans to stockpile cobalt after price rout","china-plans-to-stockpile-cobalt-after-price-rout","article/china-plans-to-stockpile-cobalt-after-price-rout",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":556,"content":566,"excerpt":699,"featured":50,"reporter":700,"_editable":704,"component":705,"seo_title":543,"categories":706,"visibility":712,"author_company":49,"featured_image":713,"seo_description":699,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":717,"formattedArticleDate":718},"c2940250-04f5-4026-988a-2b668df59dd2","2023-10-25 00:00",[550,553],{"slug":551,"name":552},"china","China",{"slug":554,"name":555},"cobalt-prices","Cobalt prices",[557],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":560},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":561,"image":562,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":563},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":567,"content":568},"doc",[569,576,581,596,601,614,619,624,629,634,641,646,657,666,677,689,694],{"type":570,"attrs":571,"content":572},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[573],{"text":574,"type":575},"China plans to stockpile cobalt as prices for the key battery raw material remain under pressure. ","text",{"type":570,"attrs":577,"content":578},{"textAlign":49},[579],{"text":580,"type":575},"The country’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration is set to purchase around 3,100 tonnes of cobalt, for a price of around 255,000 RMB ($34,877), Benchmark understands. ",{"type":570,"attrs":582,"content":583},{"textAlign":49},[584,586,594],{"text":585,"type":575},"Cobalt metal prices are sitting at $34,502 a tonne, according to ",{"text":587,"type":575,"marks":588},"Benchmark’s Cobalt Price Assessment",[589],{"type":590,"attrs":591},"link",{"href":592,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/price-assessments/cobalt/portal/","url",{"text":595,"type":575},", which means the purchase is in line with current price levels. ",{"type":570,"attrs":597,"content":598},{"textAlign":49},[599],{"text":600,"type":575},"“Generally, purchasing from the SRB signals a floor for the cobalt price,” Jorge Uzcategui, analyst at Benchmark, said. “We could potentially see an uptick in the cobalt metal price following this news.”",{"type":570,"attrs":602,"content":603},{"textAlign":49},[604,606,612],{"text":605,"type":575},"In July, ",{"text":607,"type":575,"marks":608},"China was expected to buy 5,600 tonnes of cobalt",[609],{"type":590,"attrs":610},{"href":611,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/china-to-stockpile-cobalt-metal-after-prices-more-than-halve",{"text":613,"type":575}," during the second half of the year at a price of 280,000 RMB a tonne ($34,507 at the time) from four suppliers. Following the announcement, prices saw a rebound. ",{"type":570,"attrs":615,"content":616},{"textAlign":49},[617],{"text":618,"type":575},"“However, overall market fundamentals for cobalt show a large market surplus this year and next, so there is not much upside for the price,” Uzcategui said.",{"type":570,"attrs":620,"content":621},{"textAlign":49},[622],{"text":623,"type":575},"Even though the market will remain in oversupply, the amount of cobalt bought and expected to be delivered to the SRB could see the cobalt market surplus decrease from 13,300 tonnes to 10,400 tonnes this year.",{"type":570,"attrs":625,"content":626},{"textAlign":49},[627],{"text":628,"type":575},"The additional SRB cobalt purchase is expected to be supplied by five major cobalt producers, with the delivery of material potentially happening in the next four to five months, Benchmark understands. ",{"type":570,"attrs":630,"content":631},{"textAlign":49},[632],{"text":633,"type":575},"China is the world’s top cobalt consumer, with most of the battery raw material coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the leading cobalt producing country. ",{"type":635,"attrs":636,"content":638},"heading",{"level":637,"textAlign":49},4,[639],{"text":640,"type":575},"Cobalt prices low, oversupply to remain",{"type":570,"attrs":642,"content":643},{"textAlign":49},[644],{"text":645,"type":575},"Excess of cobalt supply paired with weak downstream demand has seen cobalt prices fall in 2023. ",{"type":570,"attrs":647,"content":648},{"textAlign":49},[649,651,655],{"text":650,"type":575},"Cobalt metal prices have decreased 23.7% year-to-date, while sulphate prices have declined by 27.9%. The biggest drop so far this year has been for cobalt hydroxide prices, which are down 34.8%, according to ",{"text":587,"type":575,"marks":652},[653],{"type":590,"attrs":654},{"href":592,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},{"text":656,"type":575},". ",{"type":570,"attrs":658,"content":659},{"textAlign":49},[660],{"type":661,"attrs":662},"image",{"id":49,"alt":663,"src":664,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":665},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/036fcbfd12/bm-cobalt-hydroxide-cif-asia-27sep-1.png",{},{"type":570,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[669,675],{"text":670,"type":575,"marks":671},"Prices have seen a mild recovery",[672],{"type":590,"attrs":673},{"href":674,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/cobalt-prices-stage-mild-recovery-in-october-as-seasonal-demand-improves",{"text":676,"type":575}," in October on the back of seasonal buying trends, but market sentiment remains bearish in the medium to long term.",{"type":570,"attrs":678,"content":679},{"textAlign":49},[680,682,688],{"text":681,"type":575},"The oversupply in the cobalt market is expected to continue until 2026 on the back of Indonesia’s growing output and expansions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to ",{"text":683,"type":575,"marks":684},"Benchmark’s Cobalt Forecast",[685],{"type":590,"attrs":686},{"href":687,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/forecasts/cobalt/reports/",{"text":656,"type":575},{"type":570,"attrs":690,"content":691},{"textAlign":49},[692],{"text":693,"type":575},"By 2030, Benchmark expects global mined cobalt supply to more than double over 2022 output. However, this will still not be enough to meet growing demand from the battery industry, which will push the cobalt market to a deficit by 2027. ",{"type":570,"attrs":695,"content":696},{"textAlign":49},[697],{"text":698,"type":575},"“Even with the level of investment seen this year and in the pipeline, more will be needed for a viable energy transition,” William Talbot, principal analyst at Benchmark, said.","China plans to stockpile cobalt as prices for the key battery raw material remain under pressure. The country’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration is set to purchase around 3,100 tonnes of cobalt, for a price of around 255,000 RMB ($34,877), Benchmark understands. Cobalt metal prices are sitting at $34,502 a tonne, according to Benchmark’s […]",[701],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":702},{"job_title":561,"image":703,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},{"filename":563},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"c2940250-04f5-4026-988a-2b668df59dd2\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[707,709],{"slug":708,"name":115},"cobalt",{"slug":710,"name":711},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals","private",{"id":49,"alt":663,"name":663,"focus":663,"title":663,"source":663,"filename":714,"copyright":663,"fieldtype":715,"meta_data":716,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/dad5925879/bm-etoile-mine-cobalt-1.jpg","asset",{"alt":663,"title":663,"source":663,"copyright":663},"Oct 25, 2023","25th October 2023",[],[],1783682677134]