Are the fundamentals pointing towards a fundamentally different future for the mining industry?
2020 hasn’t played out the way (m)any of us thought it would. A global pandemic and the deepest recession since WWII, the onward march of protectionist agendas and an oil price crash juxtaposed with the rise of ESG and carbon consciousness has kept commodities decision makers on their toes… so much for perfect vision.
Against this backdrop one would be forgiven for assuming the outlook for mined commodities is bleak. Demand has dipped, supply has stuttered and investment put on ice. Despite this, after considerable initial declines, metals prices have now returned to pre-coronavirus levels - surpassing them in several instances. However, with the US elections, uncertain outcomes from government stimulus packages and the spectre of a resurgent coronavirus during the northern hemisphere’s winter, there is still much to be wary of… Producers, investors and consumers are searching to understand the speed, scale and durability of the recovery.
Does this price rally augur well for the industry or is it ultimately incentivising decisions that will result in a ‘lost decade’ of tepid growth and poor returns?
Wood Mackenzie looks forward to welcoming you to our virtual LME Week Forum on 21 October 2020 where we will be exploring these key questions.