Albemarle says won't participate in LME lithium contract

11th June 2019 By: Reuters

SANTIAGO – Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, said on Tuesday it would not participate in the London Metal Exchange's plans to launch a new contract for the white metal.

"An exchange contract tends to support a commodity market, and that's not what we believe this (lithium market) is," David Ryan, Albemarle's head of corporate strategy and investor relations, told the Fastmarkets Lithium Supply and Markets Conference in Santiago.

The LME on Monday chose Fastmarkets to provide a reference price for the contract.