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Who buys China’s lithium? Export destinations 2024

In 2024, China exported $2.2 billion of lithium (693 thousand tonnes), 18.2% of the world total. South Korea bought 62% of the total, followed by Japan (27%) and Sweden (2%). China was the world’s 3rd-largest exporter of lithium.

Summary

Value
$2.2billion
Tonnes
693thousand tonnes
Share of world total
18.2%
World rank
3rd
Routes to the main destinations. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Destinations

The 20 main destinations in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
South Korea1.4Tonnes: 137,582USD per tonne: $9,95562.3%Sea
Japan0.59Tonnes: 116,117USD per tonne: $5,04726.6%Sea
Sweden0.05Tonnes: 3,084USD per tonne: $16,1472.3%Sea
India0.03Tonnes: 79,656USD per tonne: $4011.5%Sea
Taiwan0.02Tonnes: 32,355USD per tonne: $7201.1%Sea
Malaysia0.02Tonnes: 104,558USD per tonne: $1820.86%Sea
Italy0.01Tonnes: 47,073USD per tonne: $2560.55%Sea
Germany0.01Tonnes: 13,257USD per tonne: $6470.39%Sea
Singapore re-exports0.01Tonnes: 816USD per tonne: $9,6200.36%Sea
Russia0.01Tonnes: 13,378USD per tonne: $5790.35%Land
United States0.01Tonnes: 2,470USD per tonne: $3,0050.34%Sea
United Arab Emirates0.01Tonnes: 10,126USD per tonne: $6990.32%Sea
Thailand0.01Tonnes: 8,091USD per tonne: $7080.26%Sea
Indonesia0.01Tonnes: 8,511USD per tonne: $6660.26%Sea
Netherlands re-exports0.01Tonnes: 17,659USD per tonne: $3000.24%Sea
Turkey< 0.01Tonnes: 7,983USD per tonne: $5910.21%Sea
Spain< 0.01Tonnes: 13,738USD per tonne: $3400.21%Sea
Vietnam< 0.01Tonnes: 17,092USD per tonne: $2370.18%Sea
Australia< 0.01Tonnes: 1,103USD per tonne: $2,9770.15%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 7,624USD per tonne: $4110.14%Sea

Trend

Who it sells to

South Korea has been its main destination since 2020

Value in USD billions. The five largest destinations in 2024.

  • South Korea 1.4
  • Japan 0.59
  • Sweden 0.05
  • India 0.03
  • Taiwan 0.02

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
South Korea< 0.011.4
Japan0.020.59
Sweden< 0.010.05
India< 0.010.03
Taiwan< 0.010.02

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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