Jdog72, you are added to the SS Lithium Americas crew manifest. 

The whole crew has breathed a large does of "hopeium".  On the other hand, the need for lithium is not going to disappear anytime soon.  The lithium "Big Boys" are apparently still content on making a small profit margin on their mining of lithium at these dilapadated price levels, but if they run into recession economics that cast a direct shadow on their companies then they, like an airplane short of fuel to reach a safe and desired destination, will start throwing non essential "weight" off the plane and continuing to produce low profit lithium would be among those things thrown out the door, thus creating a significant decrease in supply.  Should that happen then we might see even more effort from the U.S. Defense Department and other U.S. agencies to facilitate a more rapid ramp up of the LAC Thacker Pass lithium mine as Demand is given a swift kick in the butt.  

Yup, I know.  That idle speculation on my part does come from a giant respiratory inhalation of "hopeium gas".  In the meantime new refinements in lithium ion batteries continue to be made that widen the list of reasons to use lithium ion batteries in mobile applications.  

I think that there must be a "Bottom" to the current fast descent toward the sub-$10,000 a ton world of lithium spot prices.  No, we aren't sub-$10,000 yet, but as "Get Smart" used to say:  "Missed IT by THAT much!"  I seriously don't see how the majors can keep pumping out lithium carbonate and lithum hydroxide for such minimal profit margins.  It is a death knell for most, or possibly all, of the lithium mining company wannabees and it completely dries up their developmental funding. 

The U.S. government isn't going to put money on some start up that still has the whole Enchilida of pre-production maze to negotiate, but LAC is like the lead dog in that process with respect to the "also rans".  That pole position gives LAC the best chance of weathering these current horrible conditions for mining companies in development.  That is what I remind myself as I take another hit on the Lithium "hopeium" pipe.

Onward through the FOG!  Another  dose of "hopeium", please!  With a side of "U Turn in the Spot price of Lithium".

Okiedo