Host
Asian Metal
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Overview
Cobalt: If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
In the past five years, the cobalt market experienced changes from supply shortage to oversupply. Cobalt prices soared and peaked in the first half of 2008, and European high grade cobalt metal prices briefly reached to USD52/lb. However, the economic crisis struck the global market in the second half of 2008, thereby causing demand and prices to drop sharply. In 2009, governments implemented quantitative easing monetary policies and other measures to stimulate the economy, and the cobalt market gradually recovered from the downturn path. However, with the quick increase in supply and slow rise in demand from lithium battery, cemented carbide, ceramic and other industries, cobalt prices have been on decline since 2010. In 2011, European debt crisis flared and the Chinese economy experienced a slowdown, which affects the cobalt market adversely. At the end of November 2011, the price of European high grade cobalt metal has dropped to about USD14/lb, reaching close to record lows. Since the cobalt market is heavily oversupplied, profit margins continue to erode, especially in the Chinese market. The slump in the cobalt market has arrived, how can companies survive? Decreasing prices? Expanding? Merging? How can the Chinese market change the processing industry? How can companies adapt? How to adjust the excess Chinese cobalt production capacity?
Lithium: Will lithium price maintain its rising momentum in 2012?
In recent years, Chinese government has vigorously promoted new energy car, and made a series of subsidies policies for the development of EV. With surging interest in alternative fuels, lithium products have become the focus of interest in the industry. In June 2011, major lithium producers Chemetall and FMC announced that starting from July 1 the price would increase by 20%, setting up a prelude to price increases in lithium products. However, the prices of downstream products such as lithium cobalt oxide and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide are falling along with cobalt prices. At the same time, a major lithium ore supplier, Talison, is preparing to raise the price of lithium ore. Will lithium price maintain its rising momentum in 2012? Will EV be far away from us?
With the support and trust of companies in the industry, Asian Metal has successfully organized three sessions of World Cobalt Forums. We will organize the Word Cobalt & Lithium Forum 2012 on 18-20 April in Hangzhou, Zhejiang to provide a platform for exploration and discussion for producers, traders and end-users. Asian Metal will invite industries’ leading experts, well-known company representatives, government policymakers to make presentations about cobalt and lithium markets. This conference will be the most comprehensive and extensive coverage on the current market situation in cobalt and lithium industry in 2012. Welcome to join us!
Highlight
Delegates coming from cobalt and lithium industries
Delegates come from cobalt and lithium sectors will gather together to discuss the future development of the markets and you could get the latest information and trend of cobalt & lithium markets.
Based on high-end meeting platform to create interactive show
The forum will continue to create a high-end meeting to discuss the topics that companies are concerned. In order to further enhance company image and shorten the distance between sellers and buyers, the organizing committee will set up display areas outside the conference room, which will build a bridge between suppliers and buyers.
Integrating industrial resources to promote multilateral cooperation and mutual win-win
The forum will bring together suppliers, buyers, leading investment and financing institutions, providers of advanced technology and professional equipment and other related leaders in cobalt and lithium industries at home and abroad for all participants to promote mutual win-win.
Bringing together industry leading media to highlight the performances of leading companies
The conference will invite the Xinhua News Agency, Reuters, Interfax, Bloomberg, 21cbh.com, China Business News and Shanghai Securities News and other leading media in the fields to make an all-round and multi-angle reports – focusing on the development trend of companies and the leading role excellent companies have played.
Unscrambling the latest industry policies to hit the forefront of cobalt and lithium market
The forum will invite the experts and scholars from Zambia, Congo, Cuba and Australia, the main cobalt & lithium supplying countries to comprehensively unscramble the price trend of cobalt & lithium markets and related policies, and forecast market development of cobalt & lithium, analyze and guide the development of companies from multi-angles.