This has been a year of crisis for the nickel market.

"Pretty much everyone accepts the current level [of premiums] is the new reality", a trader said.

Australian resources firm IGO has resumed mining and processing nickel following a 3 December fire at its Nova operation in Western Australia (WA).

Redwood Material has signed a deal to supply Japanese battery maker Panasonic with high-nickel content cathode materials for the a planned Kansas plant according to Redwood.

A high backwardation continued to dampen import appetite, leading to thin liquidity, although offers were quoted higher.

At present, of the 17,244 tonnes of on-warrant nickel in LME warehouses in Rotterdam, briquette accounts for more than 92%.

Fastmarkets sources continued to insist that prices were in parity, as rare as the phenomenon is.

Because of a scheduling disagreement with Vale Indonesia.