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Lithium
Follow Lithium on My deskMiningBridge Indicative Price
Free public sources, with source and period. Indicative only - not a trading price, not an offer, not advice. "Not published" means no free, current price exists; MiningBridge does not copy paid prices.
| Product | Price | Source and period | Freshness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate (Li2CO3 99.5% CIF China) | Not published $/MT | No free current source Background only: USGS 2025 annual average: $9,000 $/MT (yearly average, not a current price) | - |
| Spodumene Concentrate (SC6 6.0% Li2O CIF China) | Not published $/DMT | No free current source | - |
- Largest producer
- Australia 32%
- Concentration (HHI)
- 2,047
- Producing countries
- 9
- Export measures
- 3
Global Production by Country
USGS MCS 2026 ground truthTop producing jurisdictions, annual metric output (metric tons), and modeled global production shares.
| Country | Production (metric tons) | Global Share |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 92,000 | 31.9% |
| China | 62,000 | 21.5% |
| Chile | 56,000 | 19.4% |
| Zimbabwe | 28,000 | 9.7% |
| Argentina | 23,000 | 8.0% |
| Brazil | 12,000 | 4.2% |
| Mali | 9,400 | 3.3% |
| Canada | 5,600 | 1.9% |
| Portugal | 380 | 0.1% |
Export Controls & Trade Restrictions
3 Active Sovereign MeasuresStatutory export bans, quotas, and licensing regimes documented by the USGS (effective January 2026) and national trade ministries affecting physical lithium trade corridors.
Namibia maintains an export ban covering Ores and concentrates of cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, and rare earths (2023), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Zimbabwe maintains an export ban covering Lithium ore (2022), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
China maintains an export licensing requirement for materials and technologies covering Antimony (2024), bismuth (2025), synthesized diamond (2025), gallium (2023), germanium (2023), graphite (2023), indium (2025), magnesium materials (2024), molybdenum (2025), rare earths (2025), silver (2026), tellurium (2025), tungsten (2025), and items related to lithium batteries and artificial graphite anode materials (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Research
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Analytics for lithium
Opens with Lithium Carbonate (Battery Grade 99.5% Li₂CO₃) selected and its usual route suggested: Brine crystallization plant to Antofagasta Port + FCL Ocean to Japan.
Sale price: not published. Every input can be changed. Illustrative calculation, not advice.
Open Trade Desk for lithium →- Supply shocks & export rules →Take out a producer or apply a quota; see concentration and supply move.
- Processing economics →Grade, recovery and costs from feed to margin.
- By-products & tailings →What is left in a residue and what it could be worth.
- Mine closure →Rehabilitation liability and when it falls due.
- Haulage & carbon →Freight cost and emissions by route and mode.
- Smelter catchments →Which mines can feed a plant, or which plants can take your concentrate.
- Secondary recovery →Critical minerals in red mud, slag, fly ash and tailings, and who holds them.
Ask Victoria
Victoria answers from MiningBridge’s public research and cites her sources.
“What are the main supply risks and price drivers for lithium right now, and which countries matter most?”
Ask this question →Supply map
Open the supply model →Frequently Asked Questions: Lithium
Sourced & EmpiricalEmpirical intelligence on lithium production concentration, sovereign trade controls, and import reliance.
How concentrated is global mine production of lithium?▼
Global lithium extraction is moderately concentrated with a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) of 2,047. The leading producer is Australia, representing 32% of global mine output, with 9 countries reporting commercial production, based on USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS 2026).
Which jurisdictions enforce export controls or bans on lithium?▼
There are 3 documented sovereign export control regimes affecting lithium trade corridors: Namibia (Namibia maintains an export ban covering Ores and concentrates of cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, and rare earths (2023), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe maintains an export ban covering Lithium ore (2022), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); China (China maintains an export licensing requirement for materials and technologies covering Antimony (2024), bismuth (2025), synthesized diamond (2025), gallium (2023), germanium (2023), graphite (2023), indium (2025), magnesium materials (2024), molybdenum (2025), rare earths (2025), silver (2026), tellurium (2025), tungsten (2025), and items related to lithium batteries and artificial graphite anode materials (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.).
What is the net import reliance and critical supply vulnerability for lithium?▼
Lithium is designated as an economically essential critical commodity with strategic supply dependencies tracked across major processing and refining corridors.