Lithium decreased 750 CNY/T or 1.00% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Lithium - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

In 2022, the average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate stood at 71,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton. This figure is by far the highest price for battery-grade lithium carbonate recorded in the period of consideration. For 2024, lithium carbonate price was estimated at 14,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton. Lithium is a highly reactive soft and silvery-white alkali metal. As the third element in the periodic table, it has 3 protons in its nucleus and three electrons around it. Because it is highly reactive, it cannot be found in its pure form in nature. Lithium is the least dense of solid elements and the lightest out of all metals. Lithium and batteries One of lithium’s most well-known end uses is in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and mostly used in portable electronics and electronic vehicles. In lithium-ion batteries, the lithium ions move from the negative electrode to positive electrode while in use, and the process is reversed while charging. These batteries are highly flammable but are also low-maintenance. They have a high energy density and a low self-discharge. Some drawbacks include the fact that they are expensive to manufacture, and that they require protection circuits to maintain the voltage safely. Lithium-ion batteries are also the single-largest end use of lithium, amounting to an 87 percent share of global lithium consumption in 2024. Lithium demand forecasts Looking to the future, lithium demand is forecast to stand at 1.4 million tons by 2025. This growth will be mainly driven by lithium-ion battery demand for electric vehicles. Demand is expected to remain the highest in China, which will consistently account for half of global lithium-ion battery demand.

In April 2023, the price of Lithium Carbonate was reported at $67,831 per ton (CIF, Japan), a 1.6% increase compared to the previous month.

In 2025, the price of 99% lithium carbonate is projected to be around 7.60 U.S. dollars per kilogram.

Growing global lithium demand

There has been a steady increase in battery demand globally, which in turn becomes a strong driver of lithium usage in the future. However, producers have been unable to keep up with the demand. In 2025, global lithium demand is expected to reach 4,450 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent for non-rechargeable batteries. The 2018 annual average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate was 17,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton, increased from the 15,000 U.S. dollars in the previous year.

Lithium demand by application Lithium has many end use applications aside from batteries. For example, demand for lithium in ceramics is anticipated to reach 51,788 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2025. Another example is that the demand for lithium in polymers is expected to grow to 12,624 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2025, from the 2018 demand which was 9,873 metric tons.

The statistic depicts the annual average price for 99 percent LCE lithium chemicals worldwide from 2008 to 2014. In 2010, the average annual price for 99% LCE lithium chemicals was 5.16 U.S. dollars per kilogram. Increase in battery demand will be a strong driver of lithium consumption in the near future but producers are currently limited in their ability to match demands.

In May 2023, the price of Lithium Carbonate was $13,739 per ton (CIF, Germany), experiencing a decrease of -30.6% compared to the previous month.

Find out the United Kingdom's import price for lithium carbonate in November 2022 and how it compares to previous months. Learn about the major supplying countries and their prices.

Lithium-ion battery pack price dropped to 115 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour in 2024, down from over 144 dollars per kilowatt-hour a year earlier. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most efficient energy storage devices worldwide. Over recent years, high-scale production and capital investment into the battery production process made lithium-ion battery packs cheaper and more efficient. This demonstrates a staggering demand for energy storage worldwide and could be attributed to the fact that the world is moving towards a renewable energy-based economy where electric vehicles play an increasingly large role. Electric vehicle sales Individuals, organizations, and governments aim to reduce their environmental footprint, as the awareness about the consequences of climate change becomes more widespread. To contribute to a greener society, they promote the growth of the electric vehicle market to make transportation more sustainable and less polluting. When it comes to the sales volume of electric vehicles, the trend is staggeringly positive. For instance, global plug-in electric light vehicle (PEV) sales have progressively increased since 2015, surpassing 13.7 million units sold in 2023. Environmental impact Incorrect disposal of Li-ion batteries can have a devastating environmental impact on the environment, sparking the need for recycling. The global market for lithium-ion battery recycling is expected to reach 13.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. This figure compares to around 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

In June 2023, the price of Lithium Carbonate was $46,148 per ton (CIF, Canada), experiencing a significant increase of 473% compared to the previous month.

In 2023, purchases abroad of lithium carbonates decreased by -48.7% to 2.8K tons for the first time since 2019, thus ending a three-year rising trend.

The lithium-ion storage batteries imported to the United States from China accounted for the lowest import price in 2024, at 16.9 U.S. dollars per kilogram. On the contrary, lithium-ion storage batteries from Japan accounted for the highest import price that year.

6896 Global import shipment records of Lithium with prices, volume & current Buyer's suppliers relationships based on actual Global export trade database.

In February 2023, the lithium carbonate price amounted to $59,733 per ton (CIF, France), increasing by 42% against the previous month.

In 2024, after three years of decline, there was growth in the Kenyan lithium carbonate market, when its value increased by 4.1% to $3.7K. Over the period under review, consumption enjoyed buoyant growth. Lithium carbonate consumption peaked at $5.2K in 2020; however, from 2021 to 2024, consumption failed to regain momentum.

The US Lithium Fluoride market in Q4 2024 exhibited a volatile price trajectory, primarily driven by persistent oversupply and subdued demand. The quarter commenced with relatively stable prices amidst an oversupplied market, with excess supply outpacing current demand, leading to downward pressure on prices. While there were initial signs of production cuts by Chinese producers, their impact was limited. Subsequently, prices experienced a brief period of upward movement driven by the import of higher-priced goods.

The price of lithium-ion energy storage batteries imported from China to the United States has decreased over the last few years. Between 2021 and 2024, It dropped from an annual average of 21.73 to 16.9 U.S. dollars per kilogram, making China the exporter of the least expensive storage batteries to the U.S. in 2024.

In 2024, the Pakistani lithium carbonate market was finally on the rise to reach $311K for the first time since 2019, thus ending a four-year declining trend. In general, consumption enjoyed significant growth. As a result, consumption attained the peak level and is likely to continue growth in the immediate term.

The futures price of cobalt ranged between 27,000 and 82,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton between August 2019 and May 2024. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis can be appreciated between March and July 2020, when cobalt futures prices dropped to around 28,500 U.S. dollars per metric ton. The first significant increase in this figure following the beginning of the pandemic was in August 2020, followed by a generalized increase throughout 2021 to the reach a peak of 81,860 U.S. dollars in March 2022. Futures vs. Spot prices Futures prices are delineated in futures contracts, which allow buying or selling a commodity at a predetermined price and date, helping investors forecast the market through futures prices. Almost 30 billion futures contracts were traded worldwide in 2022. In comparison, spot prices indicate the current cost of buying a commodity. For example, the average cobalt spot price in the United States was 31 U.S. dollars per pound in 2022. Cobalt in battery production Cobalt is a primary component of producing batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, used in various electronic devices, especially electric vehicles (EVs). EV batteries require a specific amount of cobalt, while conventional vehicles do not. With an increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries in EVs as the EV industry advances, the global cobalt market volume is expected to increase continuously by 2025.

Lithium carbonate imports into South Africa soared to 79 tons in 2023, rising by 204% against 2022 figures.

Tantalum is a rare transition metal that is highly resistant to corrosion and has important applications in electronic equipment. In 2024, the price of tantalum was approximately 170 U.S. dollars per kilogram of Ta2O5 content.