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Lithium: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in lithium totaled $12.1 billion (18.1 million tonnes). The top exporters were Australia (26%), Chile (26%) and China (18%); China accounted for 58% of imports, followed by South Korea (18%) and Japan (8%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 145%.

Summary

World trade
$12.1billion
Tonnes
18.1million tonnes
Price per tonne
$669
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. Australia$3.1 billion · 26%
    see destinations
  2. Chile$3.1 billion · 25.6%
    see destinations
  3. China$2.2 billion · 18.2%
    see destinations
  4. Argentina$676 million · 5.6%
  5. Zimbabwe$598 million · 5%
  6. United States$404 million · 3.3%
  7. Brazil$292 million · 2.4%
  8. Nigeria$211 million · 1.8%
  9. Germany$135 million · 1.1%
  10. Russia$117 million · 0.97%
  11. Netherlands$98 million · 0.81%
    re-exports
  12. South Africa$98 million · 0.81%
  13. Spain$87 million · 0.72%
  14. Canada$79 million · 0.65%
  15. South Korea$77 million · 0.63%
  16. United Arab Emirates$64 million · 0.53%
  17. Japan$61 million · 0.51%
  18. India$54 million · 0.45%
  19. Vietnam$43 million · 0.36%
  20. Mexico$43 million · 0.35%

Top importers

  1. China$7 billion · 57.7%
    see sources
  2. South Korea$2.2 billion · 18.1%
    see sources
  3. Japan$919 million · 7.6%
  4. United States$295 million · 2.4%
  5. Netherlands$189 million · 1.6%
    re-exports
  6. Germany$161 million · 1.3%
  7. India$125 million · 1%
  8. France$107 million · 0.89%
  9. Belgium$80 million · 0.66%
    re-exports
  10. United Kingdom$77 million · 0.64%
  11. Indonesia$71 million · 0.59%
  12. Turkey$71 million · 0.59%
  13. United Arab Emirates$64 million · 0.53%
  14. Sweden$60 million · 0.5%
  15. Italy$57 million · 0.47%
  16. Poland$56 million · 0.47%
  17. Spain$44 million · 0.37%
  18. Taiwan$44 million · 0.36%
  19. Russia$39 million · 0.32%
  20. Mexico$37 million · 0.31%

Trend

Who sells it

Australia has been the top exporter since 2023

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

  • Australia 3.1
  • Chile 3.1
  • China 2.2
  • Argentina 0.68
  • Zimbabwe 0.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
Australia0.023.1
Chile0.043.1
China0.052.2
Argentina< 0.010.68
Zimbabwe< 0.010.6

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 707% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $669

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$83
1996$92
1997$114
1998$102
1999$83
2000$93
2001$95
2002$97
2003$118
2004$142
2005$153
2006$165
2007$171
2008$228
2009$208
2010$178
2011$201
2012$207
2013$123
2014$193
2015$169
2016$258
2017$229
2018$396
2019$366
2020$292
2021$407
2022$1,568
2023$1,688
2024$669

What it includes

Lithium carbonate, lithium oxide and hydroxide, and spodumene. The spodumene subheading (253090) includes other minerals, so the total overstates lithium.

  • 283691 · subheading of heading 2836: Carbonates
  • 282520 · subheading of heading 2825: Lithium hydroxide and other metal oxides
  • 253090 · subheading of heading 2530: Other minerals

Products in the same chapter

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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