Hyperdrive

Cobalt Prices Spike as Congo Export Halt Rattles Supply Chain

Sacks of cobalt hydroxide in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Photographer: Emmet Livingstone/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Cobalt prices are soaring as a surprise export ban from the world’s largest producing country fuels mounting uncertainty along the supply chain.

Prices for cobalt hydroxide — the main product exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo — have jumped 84% since the country imposed a four-month suspension on shipments in February to rein in a glut.