MIIT Released Operations Situation of Nickel, Cobalt and Lithium Industries in the First Half of 2022

SHANGHAI, Aug 8 (SMM) – On August 5, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the Operations of Nickel-Cobalt-Lithium Industry in the First Half of 2022 as follows:

The output of nickel and lithium increased year-on-year, while the output of cobalt decreased slightly. Driven by the rapid development of the new energy industry, the output of nickel and lithium maintained growth. The import of mineral products diverged, and the import of smelting products increased year-on-year.

According to the data of the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of the year, the import of nickel concentrate was 15.1 million mt, a year-on-year decrease of 8.3%, and the import of refined nickel was 83,000 mt, a year-on-year decrease of 3.7%. Imports of cobalt concentrates and cobalt hydrometallurgy intermediate products were 12,000 mt and 160,000 mt respectively, an increase of 79.2% and 4% year-on-year. Imports of lithium concentrate and lithium carbonate were 1.16 million mt and 71,000 mt respectively, a year-on-year increase of 13.5% and 66.5%.