Chilean miner SQM sees uncertain short-term demand for lithium

Chilean miner SQM said on Thursday it foresees strong long-term demand for lithium but offered a short-term prognosis clouded by the entry of new projects into the market and slowing growth of demand for the product this year.

The company’s new chief executive, Ricardo Ramos Rodriguez, said in an earnings call he expected sales volume in 2019 to rise slightly from 2018, along with modestly higher average market prices.