Global Lithium Market Demand Currently Estimated At 312,000 MT

RALEIGH, North Carolina, October 10, 2019 -The current global lithium supply is estimated to be 312,000 MT resulting in a deficit market which is expected to improve with capacity additions in the near future, according to Beroe Inc, a procurement intelligence firm. Lithium carbonate accounts for 45 percent of the overall lithium demand, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8 percent until 2020.

Chile has the largest lithium reserve at a global level, estimated to be 7,500,000 MT, out of which the annual production is 12,000 MT. After Chile, China has a reserve of 3,200,000 in the form of brine/hard rock, with an annual production of 2,000 MT. Australia has the highest production of lithium, of around 14,300 MT with reserves amounting to 1,600,000 MT.

https://www.beroeinc.com/category-intelligence/lithium-market/

Beroe, which is based in North Carolina, further stated that procurement experts can access this report on its recently launched market intelligence platform Beroe LiVE: live.beroeinc.com

The single largest end-user segment for lithium is batteries, accounting for 36 percent of the total demand with the demand expected to grow further at a CAGR of 10-15 percent till 2020. Glass/ceramics account for 26 percent of the demand for lithium, followed by greases and lubricants accounting for 10 percent of the total demand.

In the long term, growing demand from lithium battery compounds is expected to increase the prices of lithium metal in the global market. Supply tightness is expected to prevail, as most of the major battery expansions are due to come into production by 2020, further worsened by anticipated stockpiling/inventory holdings by suppliers to meet the demand from the electro-mobility market.

Key Findings:

• Owing to continuing exploration, lithium resources have increased substantially worldwide, resulting in total availability of more than 53 million tons.
• Lithium hydroxide is gaining popularity for use as batteries in electric vehicles and is poised to surpass the use of lithium carbonate in electric vehicles.
• Apart from the direct uses of lithium carbonate, it also serves as the starting material for most of the other lithium derivatives, further increasing its demand.
• As lithium extraction from brine is economically cheaper than extraction from ore, salt deposits have been exploited by major companies, leading to water pollution and depletion.
• South America holds more than 70 percent of the global lithium reserves; however, investment and exploration restrictions by the governments of Chile and Bolivia are likely to restrict the market.
• Traditionally the lithium market has been dominated by 3 players, but the market witnessed a transformation with the entry of Chinese players among the top 5 suppliers due to their stake in Australian mines, now occupying a 40 percent market share.

The research methodology adopted for the report included:

• Experts with twenty years of domain experience
• Interaction with buyers
• Inputs from supply chain partners

The single largest global lithium source is brine, accounting for 66 percent of the total supply, followed by hard rock ores/pegmatite for 26 percent and sedimentary rock deposits for 8 percent. The higher production cost associated with the production of lithium concentrate from hard rocks has contributed to the rising prices of lithium compounds in the Chinese market and globally.

The report also includes: 

Market Analysis:

• Key Production Regions: Lithium
• Global LCE Market Snapshot
• Global LCE Market Analysis
• Global Lithium Mine Reserves and Production
• End-Use Applications: Global Lithium Carbonate Market
• Drivers and Constraints

Supplier Analysis:

• Supplier Profiles

Market Updates:

• Regulatory Environment
• Active Projects: Lithium
• Upcoming/Planned Projects: Lithium

Trade Dynamics - Lithium:

• Lithium Metal: Imports
• Lithium Metal: Exports

Trade Dynamics - Lithium Carbonate:

• Lithium Carbonate: Imports
• Lithium Carbonate: Exports
• Lithium Carbonate: Pricing

Trade Dynamics - Spodumene:

• Spodumene: Imports
• Spodumene: Exports
• Spodumene: Pricing 

About Beroe Inc.:

Beroe is the world's leading provider of procurement intelligence and supplier compliance solutions. We provide critical market information and analysis that enables companies to make smart sourcing decisions—leading to lower costs, greater profits and reduced risk. Beroe has been providing these services for more than 13 years and currently works with more than 10,000 companies worldwide, including 400 of the Fortune 500 companies.

To learn more about Beroe Inc., please visit: http://www.beroeinc.com

Media Contact:
Rob McMurtrie
rob.mcmurtrie@beroe-inc.com