Chile’s courts are set to rule on Tianqi Lithium’s purchase of SQM this week from Nutrien. The result could shake up the global lithium supply chain and continues a trend of both miners and buyers (such as auto-makers) attempting to secure ownership of battery components. Chilean exports of lithium carbonate surged 29% on a year earlier in the three months to July 31, with SQM accounting for 60% of the total ahead. SQM’s exports to China (Tianqi’s domestic market) have actually been in decline and accounted for 16% of the total in the past six months from 27% in 2017. American buyers’...