Key Facts
The LIT lithium and battery ETF slid 0.85% to US$69.22 on Friday, dragging down a broad basket of miners and battery makers as a proxy for lithium supply-chain sentiment.
SQM’s New York shares sank -2.00% to US$67.06, the steepest drop among major lithium producers, pressured by the ongoing renegotiation of Chile’s Atacama brine leases.
Albemarle eased a modest -0.10% to US$117.64, outperforming SQM as investors judged its long-term contract with Corfo less immediately exposed to Chile’s new state-participation rules.
Chile’s Codelco is set to take control of SQM’s Atacama operations from 2031, under a preliminary December 2023 agreement that leaves SQM as the operating partner but reshapes future profit sharing.
