Albemarle expects weak first quarter in China due to coronavirus

10th March 2020 By: Reuters

Albemarle, the world's largest producer of lithium for electric vehicle batteries, said on Tuesday it is experiencing a "weak" first quarter in China, where most of the company's processing facilities and customers are located.

None of the company's employees have contracted the virus and so far there have only been minimal order reductions from customers. Logistic delays, though, "remain an area of concern," CFO Scott Tozier told the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference, which was held entirely via webcast this year due to the virus.