According to foreign press, the management of Australia's Queensland Nickel, owned by local magnate Clive Palmer, sent an official letter to their counterparts with a request for reduction of prices of raw materials for the production of nickel and reducing the cost of related services. «All of us are going through a difficult time: the nickel market is subject to the strongest in recent years to stress. In such a situation we have to ask you, as a partner, with whom we have established strong business relationships, to reduce your prices by 15% «- said in a statement.

Headquartered Queensland Nickel is located in the north-east of the mainland of Australia near the city of Townsville. The company produces high value added products based on nickel and cobalt by using raw materials being brought to processing plants in New Caledonia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

«Clive Palmer — the current owner of Queensland Nickel, acquired the asset of the world's largest mining company BHP Billiton in 2009. Even then refining capacity QN undergone by raw material shortage (due to the crisis, many of the quarries on the continent and around the economic zone of Australia have suspended production of nickel ore). However, the past six months, for which the market price of nickel fell by 30%, seems to have become for us the most serious challenge «- commented on the news reporters in the Australian media.