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Rio Is Said to Drop Chase for $5 Billion Lithium Miner Stake

  • Rio had spoken to advisers about bid for Nutrien’s 32% stake
  • Lithium prices have tripled since 2015 on electric-car demand
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Rio Tinto Group has dropped out of the bidding for a stake in Soc. Quimica & Minera de Chile SA, one of the world’s top lithium producers, as it pursues other ways to capitalize on the electric-car boom, people familiar with the matter said.

Rio decided not to proceed with an offer for Nutrien Ltd.’s 32 percent stake in Santiago-based SQM after studying information in a data room, according to the people. Other strategic bidders remain interested in the holding, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Nutrien’s interest in SQM is worth about $5 billion at current market prices.