China’s Tianqi Lithium ( 002466.SZ ) is nearing a deal to buy a 24 percent stake in Chile’s Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM) SQMa.SN, one of the world’s biggest lithium producers, for about $4.3 billion, two people close to the transaction said. Chengdu-based Tianqi, which is building the world’s biggest lithium processor in Western Australia, is looking to sign a deal to acquire the stake in SQM from Canadian fertilizer company Nutrien Ltd ( NTR.TO ), the people said. Nutrien, formed by the merger of Agrium and Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, must sell its stake in SQM by next March as part of a commitment to regulators approving the deal. […]