Global Cobalt Market: By Application: Batteries, Alloys, Tool Materials, Catalysts, Pigments, Magnets, Soaps; By Region: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa; Historical Production and Consumption (2015-2019); Production and Consumption Forecast (2020-2025); SWOT Analysis; Value Chain Analysis; Porter’s Five Forces Analysis; Global Cobalt Trade Analysis (2019); Regional Price Analysis; Manufacturing Process; Cost Analysis; Competitive Landscape & Supplier Analysis; Events and Developments; Consumer Analysis

Global Cobalt Market Key Insights:

Market Outlook

The global cobalt market witnessed a demand of 115.54 kilo tons in 2019. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2019 and 2025 to reach a volume of 193.77 kilo tons by 2025.

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Cobalt is a significant by-product obtained from the mining of nickel and copper ores. It is refined first before it is made available in the market. These nickel and copper mining sites are majorly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Russia, Canada, and Australia, among others. The Democratic Republic of the Congo one of the largest producers of cobalt globally. China is a major consumer of the metal. It is also a significant manufacturer of the metal. The cobalt market in China is likely to further grow due to the rising consumption of the metal as a battery material.

The increased demand for new energy vehicle-use batteries is further aiding the growth of the cobalt market, globally. Batteries have become an increasingly prominent end-use for cobalt, which has significantly increased recently. Batteries account for the largest application sector, with 41% of cobalt used in battery production. Alloys and tool metals, together, account for around one-fourth of the product’s applications.

Properties and Applications

Cobalt is a bright, fragile chemical material used to create powerful alloys, permanent magnets, and hard metals with corrosion and thermal resistance. It is obtained as a by-product of copper and nickel mining. The silver-coloured metal is fragile and possesses a high melting point. It is preferred for its strength and wear resistance at high temperatures.

Cobalt has major applications as a battery chemical. It is also highly valued as a catalyst. It also has wide applications in the production of turbine blades for jet engines, exhaust valves, gun barrels, and permanent magnets, as well as in the production of hard facing machine parts. It is also used in implants, including orthopaedic, dental implants, and prosthetic hips and knees. Thus, based on its applications, its market can be segmented into:

• Batteries
• Alloys
• Tool Materials
• Catalysts
• Pigments
• Magnets
• Soaps
• Others

The report also covers the regional cobalt markets of the product like North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

Market Analysis

Cobalt is an extremely important and rare chemical element. With the growth in consumer electronics industry, the demand for rechargeable batteries is also growing, thus, supporting the growth of the global cobalt market. Cobalt is a major chemical used for the production of batteries and, thus, the demand growth for the metal is aided by the rising demand for rechargeable batteries. Urbanisation and globalisation, along with the rising disposable incomes, are other factors guiding the growing demand for the latest gadgets like laptops, mobiles, smartwatches, etc. This further boosts the growth of the cobalt market.  The rise in gadget usage, especially among the youth, is also driving the growth of the industry.

The cobalt market is also aided by the rising demand for the metal in the production of high-speed cutting tools for cutting products like diamonds, which are extremely hard.  Electric vehicles are emerging as another significant driving factor for the rising cobalt demand. Electric vehicles, which are powered on batteries, also use cobalt-based batteries. Thus, the robust growth of the electric vehicles industry, globally, is expected to drive the cobalt market growth in the forecast period. The rising population and the increasing penetration of consumer electronics in emerging economies are expected to act as additional catalysts for the industry growth in the coming years.

Competitive Landscape

The report gives a detailed analysis of the following key players in the global cobalt market, covering their competitive landscape, capacity, and latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, and investments, expansions of capacity, and plant turnarounds:

• Glencore plc
• Vale S.A.
• Umicore
• Missouri Cobalt, LLC
• CMOC International 
• Others

The report covers the macro and micro aspects of the market and gives an in-depth insight into the manufacturing process and analyses the costs involved. The comprehensive EMR report provides a thorough assessment of the industry based on the Porter's five forces model along with giving a SWOT analysis. It also offers a detailed analysis of the regional price trends for the historical (2015-2019) and forecast (2020-2025) periods, along with an assessment of the global trade data, covering the volume and value of the major exporting and importing countries.

The global cobalt market attained a volume of 115.54 kilo tons in 2019. It is expected to witness a further growth in the forecast period of 2020-2025, growing at a CAGR of 9%. The market is projected to reach 193.77 kilo tons by 2025.

EMR’s meticulous research methodology delves deep into the market, covering the macro and micro aspects of the industry. On the basis of application, batteries account for 41% of the cobalt application in the global market. The major regional markets for cobalt are North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The key players in the above market include Glencore plc, Vale S.A., Umicore, Missouri Cobalt, LLC, CMOC International, and other.

The major drivers of the market such as rising disposable incomes, increasing population, growing demand for consumer electronics, and the rising electric vehicles industry are expected to aid the market growth. EMR’s research methodology uses a combination of cutting-edge analytical tools and the expertise of their highly accomplished team, thus, providing their customers with market insights that are accurate, actionable, and help them remain ahead of their competition.

EMR’s approach gives their clients a comprehensive assessment of the prevailing and projected industry conditions through the collection, collation, and analysis of data from trusted sources. The key questions answered in the market study are:

• How has the global cobalt market performed in the previous years (2015-2019)?
• What is the forecast assessment of the industry for 2020-2025?
• What are the major industry drivers and constraints?
• What are the major price and demand indicators of the global industry?
• What are the price trends of cobalt in the global market?
• Who are the key manufacturers of cobalt in the industry, globally?
• What is the degree of competition in the global market?
• What are the import and export trends in the global industry?
• Who are the top importers and exporters of cobalt in the global market?