Clara Ferreira Marques, Columnist

The Great Lithium Squeeze: Elements by Clara Ferreira Marques

September 20, 2022 at 11:24 AM UTC

Clara Ferreira Marques is a managing editor for Commodities and Energy in Asia. Previously, she was a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and editorial board member.

Lithium ore in Western Australia
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

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Welcome to Elements, Bloomberg’s daily energy and commodities newsletter. Today’s s take looks at the stunning surge in lithium prices. Back in the world of Europe’s gas crunch, Germany is spending billions more to buy LNG as Chancellor Scholz flies to the Middle East with his eye on long-term supply deals. Finally, to get this email direct into your inbox every week day, click here.

A key battery ingredient is once again running wild. Lithium carbonate has just hit a fresh record of 501,500 yuan ($71,500) a ton in China, according to data from Asian Metal Inc. — more than triple where it was 12 months ago.