Week in Review: Tesla’s battery play; supply chains under stress; E.U.-U.K. trade talks

Fouad Egbaria | Posted on February 28, 2020 |

Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the week that was and some of the metals storylines here on MetalMiner, including coverage of: Tesla’s struggle between price competitiveness and battery range; supply chains amid the coronavirus outbreak; U.S. industrial production; zinc’s global supply deficit; and E.U.-U.K. trade talks.
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Tesla is aiming for price competitiveness as it looks to buy lithium-iron-phosphate batteries from China’s CATL.
Stuart Burns weighed in on the coronavirus and how it has exposed supply chain vulnerabilities.
U.S. industrial production dipped 0.3% in January.
The global zinc market was in deficit by 189,000 tons last year, according to the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.
The copper market was also in deficit, by 385,000 tons last year, per the International Copper Study Group.
President Donald Trump made his first official visit to India, which hopes to strengthen its ties with the U.S.
Burns also surveyed the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on the aluminum market.
The USTR announced a number of agreements aimed at enforcement of agricultural provisions of the U.S.’s phase one trade deal with China.
The European Council has given the go-ahead to begin talks with the U.K. regarding the parties’ future trade relationship in a post-Brexit world.