Critical Commodity Analysis - Shortages and Latest Price Trends

Major global events such as the Russia-Ukraine War, Covid-19, and inflation spikes have drastically impacted the essential metals supply chain causing acute shortages of critical metals which is resulting in severe price fluctuations. With Russia being the second largest palladium producer, the global supply of palladium is affected by the ongoing geopolitical conflict which is causing prices to rise in recent years and subsequently impacting the automotive and semiconductor industries the most. Additionally, the world’s cobalt supply is at risk, with the IEA reporting a shortage by the year 2030 due to China’s increased mining and a substantial increase in metal’s use for EV battery production. Furthermore, silver supplies may get exhausted over the next 10 years due to intense industrial demand and a looming supply crunch.