The cobalt raw materials market remained in a stalemate last week, with spot quotations for cobalt intermediates flat at around US $25.9 per pound, and no actual transactions reported as both buyers and sellers adopted a wait-and-see attitude. On the supply side, the number of containers of cobalt intermediates actually shipped from the port of Durban to China remained relatively low. Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), shipment speeds have slowed due to a shortage of road transport vehicles, with some mines facing difficulties in securing trucks. A few mines are even considering rerouting shipments through Zimbabwe for vessel loading in order to shorten land transportation lead times. On the demand side, weakness persisted, with downstream buyers showing low purchasing appetite and noticeable delays in arrival schedules. Market concerns are growing that the increase in arrivals over the coming months may be limited, and further delays cannot be ruled out.