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Cobalt Prices Spike as Congo Export Halt Rattles Supply Chain
Sacks of cobalt hydroxide in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photographer: Emmet Livingstone/Getty ImagesThis 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.