Chile’s government pushed ahead with contracts to tap more of the world’s biggest lithium reserves despite calls from President-elect Gabriel Boric to delay the bidding process. The country awarded two of five contracts on offer -- one to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co. Ltd. and another to local firm Servicios y Operaciones Mineras del Norte, according to an emailed statement from the Mining Ministry. The outgoing government of center-right President Sebastian Pinera is looking to reverse a decline in the country’s share of the global lithium market at a time of surging prices as suppliers battle to meet ... (full story)