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Where does China get its lithium? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $7 billion of lithium (7.9 million tonnes), 57.7% of the world total. Its main sources were Australia (42%), Chile (29%) and Zimbabwe (8%). China was the world’s largest importer of lithium.

Summary

Value
$7billion
Tonnes
7.9million tonnes
Share of world total
57.7%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Australia2.9Tonnes: 3,723,802USD per tonne: $78341.8%Sea
Chile2Tonnes: 186,173USD per tonne: $10,92929.2%Sea
Zimbabwe0.55Tonnes: 975,837USD per tonne: $5637.9%Sea
Argentina0.42Tonnes: 47,773USD per tonne: $8,7416%Sea
Brazil0.29Tonnes: 349,361USD per tonne: $8194.1%Sea
Nigeria0.21Tonnes: 496,673USD per tonne: $4253%Sea
United States0.13Tonnes: 40,725USD per tonne: $3,1581.9%Sea
South Africa0.09Tonnes: 959,452USD per tonne: $891.2%Sea
Russia0.06Tonnes: 30,003USD per tonne: $2,1500.93%Land
Canada0.06Tonnes: 58,162USD per tonne: $1,0440.87%Sea
South Korea0.05Tonnes: 27,142USD per tonne: $1,6710.65%Sea
United Arab Emirates0.02Tonnes: 142,176USD per tonne: $1640.33%Sea
Vietnam0.02Tonnes: 648,406USD per tonne: $290.27%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports0.02Tonnes: 218USD per tonne: $84,5110.26%Land
United Kingdom0.02Tonnes: 1,680USD per tonne: $9,4640.23%Sea
Bolivia0.01Tonnes: 1,501USD per tonne: $8,5560.18%Sea
Turkey0.01Tonnes: 40,620USD per tonne: $1930.11%Sea
Germany0.01Tonnes: 1,809USD per tonne: $3,5920.09%Sea
Japan0.01Tonnes: 13,831USD per tonne: $4300.09%Sea
Malaysia0.01Tonnes: 31,998USD per tonne: $1840.08%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Australia has been its main source since 2005

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

  • Australia 2.9
  • Chile 2
  • Zimbabwe 0.55
  • Argentina 0.42
  • Brazil 0.29

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Australia< 0.012.9
Chile02
Zimbabwe00.55
Argentina00.42
Brazil< 0.010.29

Sources and methodology

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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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