Lithium carbonate prices in China extended their rally to 247,500 yuan per tonne, amid imbalances with current global supply levels and the metal’s surging demand. Electric vehicle deliveries in China are expected to total 3 million units this year, more than double of last year’s, and forecasts point to more than 5 million sales in 2022. Meanwhile, bets on long-term scarcity of the light metal set EV manufacturers to race each other for long-term contracts, as lithium miners compete for contracts and face continued opposition from environmental groups. Mining giant Rio Tinto PLC pledged over USD 2 billion to develop lithium mines in Serbia, but backlash from protesters led local authorities to momentarily suspend the land-use plan for the mine. Elsewhere, leftist Gabriel Boric won presidential run-offs in Chile. During campaigns, the president-elect expressed plans on forming a state-owned lithium miner to manage the country’s “lithium triangle”, the world's largest reserve.