Montana miner to lay off hundreds due to declining palladium prices
The owner of the only platinum and palladium mines in the U.S. plans to lay off hundreds of employees in Montana due to declining prices for palladium, which is used in catalytic converters
NYE, Mont. (AP) — The owner of the only platinum and palladium mines in the U.S. announced Thursday it plans to lay off hundreds of employees in Montana due to declining prices for palladium, which is used in catalytic converters.
The price of the precious metal was about $2,300 an ounce two years ago and has dipped below $1,000 an ounce over the past three months, Sibanye-Stillwater Executive Vice President Kevin Robertson said in a letter to employees explaining the estimated 700 layoffs expected later this year.
“We believe Russian dumping is a cause of this sharp price dislocation,” he wrote. “Russia produces over 40% of the global palladium supply, and rising imports of palladium have inundated the U.S. market over the last several years.”
Sibanye-Stillwater gave employees a 60-day notice of the layoffs, which is required by federal law.
