Time/Bloomberg 27.2.23 said"China’slithiumindustry is reeling as...

Time/Bloomberg 27.2.23 said

"China’slithiumindustry is reeling as its top production hub — responsible for around a 10th of the world’ssupply— faces sweeping closures amid a government probe of environmental infringements.

... Now, they’re grappling with a close-up inspection by environment officials sent from Beijing.

Ore-processing operations in Yichun have been ordered to stop as investigators probe alleged violations at lithium mines, Yicai newspaper reported. That threatens somewhere between 8% and 13% of global supply, according to various analyst estimates, although it’s unclear for how long the immediate shutdowns will last.

... Jiangxi province was expected to be a major source of extra supply, from a lithium-bearing mineral known as lepidolite...

It’s the kind of high-profit, high-demand environment that typically encourages miners to skirt regulations in any commodity market.

Some companies had already been targeted for infringements, including incidents of pollution, over the past year. This is a much wider crackdown, and involves officials from central government departments including the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The Beijing officials will mainly look at violations at lithium mines and seek to guide the “healthy development” of the industry, according to the Yicai report. It will largely target those mining without permits or with expired licenses, it said...
A month-long mining halt in Yichun would reduce lithium output by an amount equivalent to around 13% of the world’s total, analysts including Bai Junfei at Citic Securities Co. wrote in a note on Monday. Rystad Energy, a consultancy, estimated the amount at 8%.".

https://time.com/6258519/china-lithium-mining-environmental-investigation/