Prices
Updated: June 9, 2026| Exchange / Source | Price | Unit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot | $27,422 | USD/t | June 9, 2026 |
Indicative reference snapshot. Official prices at lme.com.
About Lithium
Editorial overviewWhat is lithium?
Lithium is a light alkali metal used mainly in battery chemicals, with smaller industrial uses in glass, ceramics, greases, air treatment, and specialty materials. USGS MCS 2026
How lithium is priced
Lithium trades on multiple officially regulated exchanges. Each publishes its own daily settlement, fixing or auction reference price for its specific contract — there is no single “world price”. The complete list of active regulated venues for lithium:
- Guangzhou Futures Exchange (China) — Lithium Carbonate (LC), CNY, Physical
- COMEX (CME Group) (USA) — Lithium Hydroxide CIF CJK (Fastmarkets) (LTH), USD, Cash [ref: Fastmarkets MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate min 56.5% LiOH.H2O, battery grade, CIF China, Japan & Korea — administered by Fastmarkets]; Lithium Carbonate CIF CJK (Fastmarkets) (LTC), USD, Cash [ref: Fastmarkets MB-LI-0029 Lithium carbonate, battery grade CIF China, Japan & Korea — administered by Fastmarkets]; Spodumene 6% CIF China (Fastmarkets) (SPD), USD, Cash [ref: Fastmarkets MB Spodumene min 6% Li2O, CIF China — administered by Fastmarkets]
- London Metal Exchange (UK) — Lithium Hydroxide (Fastmarkets) (LH), USD, Cash [ref: Fastmarkets MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate CIF China, Japan & Korea — administered by Fastmarkets]
Principle: One True Source for All. Every officially regulated exchange with an active contract is listed, regardless of geography or sanctions. Cash-settled contracts list both the listing exchange (where the contract clears) and the underlying benchmark index used for final settlement. Fastmarkets, S&P Global Platts and Argus are regulated benchmark administrators under UK/EU BMR, not exchanges. Source: TSM exchanges registry (maintained from public regulatory and exchange filings).
Where lithium comes from
USGS MCS 2026 shows lithium mine production concentrated in Australia, China, Chile, Argentina, and Zimbabwe, with Australia the largest producer at 92,000 metric tons in 2025. USGS MCS 2026 Full breakdown in the production and reserves sections.
Who produces lithium
Leading producers include Albemarle (United States), SQM (Chile), Ganfeng Lithium (China), Tianqi Lithium (China), and Pilbara Minerals (Australia). Albemarle says it operates across hard rock, brine, and DLE supply chains, while its lithium business is global in scope. Albemarle Full list of producers below.
What lithium is used for
Lithium demand is dominated by batteries at 88% of end use, while ceramics and glass account for 4%, lubricating greases 2%, air treatment 1%, continuous casting mold flux powders 1%, medical 1%, and other uses 3%. USGS MCS 2026
Key facts about lithium supply
- USGS MCS 2026: world lithium mine production was 290,000 metric tons in 2025 and world reserves were 37,000,000 metric tons, equal to about 128 years of cover.
- USGS MCS 2026: Australia produced 92,000 metric tons in 2025, ahead of China at 62,000, Chile at 56,000, Zimbabwe at 28,000, and Argentina at 23,000.
- USGS MCS 2026: measured and indicated lithium resources total about 150 million tons worldwide, including 30 million tons in the United States.
- USGS MCS 2026: battery use was 88% of end use, confirming lithium's role as a battery metal rather than a traditional bulk industrial metal.
Sources: USGS MCS 2026 lithium PDF, Albemarle reliable supply page
Mine Production by Country
Source: USGS MCS 2026| Country | 2024 | 2025e | Reserves |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | W | W | 4,400,000 |
| Argentina | 13,800 | e23,000 | 4,400,000 |
| Australia | e82,700 | e92,000 | 8,400,000 |
| Brazil | e10,200 | e12,000 | 540,000 |
| Canada | e4,820 | e5,600 | 1,600,000 |
| Chile | 48,900 | e56,000 | 9,200,000 |
| China | e41,400 | e62,000 | 4,600,000 |
| Mali | e770 | e9,400 | 370,000 |
| Portugal | e380 | e380 | 60,000 |
| Zimbabwe | e20,000 | e28,000 | 500,000 |
| Other countries | | | 2,400,000 |
| World total (rounded) | 222,000 | 290,000 | 37,000,000 |
Unit: metric tons. "e" = estimated, "W" = withheld, "NA" = not available. Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Reserves by Country (Top 10)
Source: USGS MCS 2026| Country | Reserves (metric tons) |
|---|---|
| Chile | 9,200,000 |
| Australia | 8,400,000 |
| China | 4,600,000 |
| United States | 4,400,000 |
| Argentina | 4,400,000 |
| Other countries | 2,400,000 |
| Canada | 1,600,000 |
| Brazil | 540,000 |
| Zimbabwe | 500,000 |
| Mali | 370,000 |
| World Total | 37,000,000 |
Commercial Product Forms
Sources: LME contract specs, USGS MCS 2026Major commercial forms in which this metal is refined, traded and delivered. "LME" indicates the form is deliverable against an LME physical contract.
| Form | Chemical form | Typical grade / spec | Primary end use | LME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery-grade Lithium Carbonate | Li₂CO₃, ≥99.5% |
Li₂CO₃ BG (Fe, Na, K, Cl < ppm limits) | LFP and LCO cathodes; lower-Ni NMC | — |
| Battery-grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate Underlies LME Lithium Hydroxide CIF (Fastmarkets MB) cash-settled contract |
LiOH·H₂O, ≥99.5% |
LiOH·H₂O BG, low Ca/Mg/SO₄ | High-Ni NMC 811 / NCA cathodes | — |
| Spodumene concentrate (SC6) Main hard-rock lithium traded form |
LiAl(SiO₃)₂ |
6.0% Li₂O (SC6 benchmark) | Hard-rock feedstock for converters (Li₂CO₃/LiOH) | — |
| Technical-grade Lithium Carbonate | Li₂CO₃, 99.0–99.5% |
Industrial grade | Glass, ceramics, flux | — |
| Lithium metal | Li, ≥99.9% |
Ingot, ribbon, foil | Primary (non-rechargeable) batteries, aerospace alloys, specialty anodes | — |
Major Producers (20)
Ranked by latest disclosed lithium production (LCE)Companies ranked by most recently disclosed annual lithium production (kilotonnes LCE). Each card links to the primary source (annual report, production report, or exchange filing). "Not disclosed" means the company does not publish metal-specific tonnage — common for private Chinese/state-owned groups and pre-production projects.
Australia
ASX:IGO / HKEX:9696
219
kt LCE
FY2025
Spodumene
Chile
SQM
205
kt LCE
FY2024
Brine
China
HKEX:9696 / SZSE:002466
192
kt LCE
FY2025
Integrated
China
SZSE:002460, HKEX:1772
130
kt LCE
FY2024
Integrated
Australia
ASX:PLS
112
kt LCE
FY2025
Spodumene
Australia
ASX:MIN
71.9
kt LCE
FY2024
Spodumene
Ireland (registered); operational HQ in Philadelphia, USA and Brisbane, Australia
NYSE:ALTM
44.0
kt LCE
FY2024
Refined
Australia
ASX:LTR
43.7
kt LCE
FY2025
Spodumene
Canada (TSX/Nasdaq listed)
NASDAQ:SGML
35.6
kt LCE
FY2024
Spodumene
Australia (ASX listed; operations in Canada)
ASX:SYA
23.1
kt LCE
FY2024
Spodumene
United States
PLL
17.3
kt LCE
FY2024
Spodumene
Australia
ASX:AKE (historical); NYSE:ALTM
16.7
kt LCE
FY2023
Mixed
Australia
ASX:CXO
14.1
kt LCE
FY2024
Spodumene
Australia
Private (TLEA)
Undisclosed Output
Not disclosed
FY25
Greenbushes operations reported consolidated via TLEA joint venture (IGO 49% / Tianqi 51%). No standalone Talison disclosure to avoid double-counting.
Canada
LAC
Pre-production
Not yet in production
FY2024
Thacker Pass (Nevada) Phase 1 construction; first production targeted 2027. No commercial LCE output in FY2024. Cauchari-Olaroz brine (49% stake) via Lithium Argentina.
China
2899.HK
Pre-production
Not yet in production
FY2024
No lithium production reported in FY2024 (year ended Dec 31, 2024); all projects pre-production or commissioning late 2025. Targeted ~25kt LCE but missed per secondary reports. First outputs in Q4 2025 or later.
South Korea
PKX
Undisclosed Output
Not disclosed
FY2024
POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution (PPLS, 82% owned): Train 1 ramp-up in 2024 produced 1.965 kt LiOH Jun-Sep 2024 (~2.32 kt LCE); full year not disclosed. Argentina brine plant commercial start 2024 (25 kt capacity), no annual figure. No full FY production in prim…
Chile
N/A (state-owned)
Undisclosed Output
Not disclosed
FY2024
Chilean state copper producer; lithium entry via SQM partnership (signed 2024, completion expected 2025). No own commercial lithium output in FY2024.
United States
CMP
Undisclosed Output
Not disclosed
FY2024
Great Salt Lake lithium development project terminated FY2024; $20M capex written off. Pre-commercial only — no output.
Latest News
All metals news →Frequently Asked Questions
Auto-generated from primary-source dataWhat is the current price of lithium?
As of June 9, 2026, Lithium traded at $27,422 USD/t on Spot. Prices update multiple times per business day on TSM Hub from exchange and benchmark feeds.
Which countries produce the most lithium?
The largest lithium producing countries are Australia (e82,700 metric tons), Chile (48,900 metric tons), China (e41,400 metric tons). Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.
Which countries hold the largest lithium reserves?
The countries with the largest reported lithium reserves are Chile (9,200,000 metric tons), Australia (8,400,000 metric tons), China (4,600,000 metric tons). Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.
Who are the largest global producers of lithium?
Among 780+ producers tracked on TSM Hub, the largest disclosed lithium producers include IGO Limited / Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA JV) (Australia), Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (Chile), Tianqi Lithium Corporation (China). Some operating lithium producers do not publish metal-specific tonnage — such as Talison Lithium Pty Ltd (operated by TLEA – Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia, Greenbushes) (Australia), POSCO Holdings (POSCO International – POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution) (South Korea), Codelco (Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile) (Chile) — and are listed with an “Undisclosed Output” badge instead of a rank, in line with our principle of never inventing numbers absent from primary sources. Full ranking with primary-source links is available in the producers section.
Where can I find official lithium price data?
Official lithium prices are published by Spot. TSM Hub aggregates these feeds under licensed market-data redistributor agreements and updates them twice daily.
What is the primary source for lithium production and reserves data?
Country-level lithium production and reserves figures on TSM Hub are sourced directly from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, the U.S. Geological Survey's authoritative annual reference. Company-level production figures come from each producer's official annual report, production report, or regulated exchange filing.