[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":719},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/chinas-lithium-vulnerability-reliance-on-imports-set-to-rise-this-decade":540},[4,52,82,112,148,186,228,259,296,328,371,412,450,481,510],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-27","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",411.01,408.51,0.61,75.85,175.57,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-05-13",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-04-29",372.51,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-04-15",354.35,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-04-01",346.55,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-03-18",351.32,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-03-04",346.6,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-02-18",324,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-02-04",337.67,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-01-21",298.32,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-01-07",233.73,{"date":46,"value":47},"2025-12-24",203.79,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",449.85,451.12,-0.28,77.12,181.56,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},404.38,{"date":22,"value":65},381.25,{"date":25,"value":67},371.52,{"date":28,"value":69},373.01,{"date":31,"value":71},366.63,{"date":34,"value":73},349.17,{"date":37,"value":75},356.81,{"date":40,"value":77},316.73,{"date":43,"value":79},253.98,{"date":46,"value":81},220.12,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",358.35,350.28,2.3,76.32,168.94,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},328.09,{"date":22,"value":95},316.95,{"date":25,"value":97},311.86,{"date":28,"value":99},321.41,{"date":31,"value":101},319.14,{"date":34,"value":103},295.42,{"date":37,"value":105},310,{"date":40,"value":107},270.4,{"date":43,"value":109},203.24,{"date":46,"value":111},177.17,{"publishedDate":19,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":147,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",244.61,252.61,-3.17,3.99,97.72,[122,123,124,127,129,132,133,136,138,141,143,146],{"date":19,"value":116},{"date":25,"value":117},{"date":125,"value":126},"2026-03-25",252.45,{"date":28,"value":128},252.84,{"date":130,"value":131},"2026-03-11",253.48,{"date":31,"value":126},{"date":134,"value":135},"2026-02-25",256.64,{"date":34,"value":137},255.58,{"date":139,"value":140},"2026-02-11",253.31,{"date":37,"value":142},252.26,{"date":144,"value":145},"2026-01-28",241.15,{"date":40,"value":145},"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":149,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":150,"today":151,"last":152,"percentageChange":153,"yearToDate":154,"yearOnYear":155,"oneYearIndexTrend":156,"url":185,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-20","Nickel",135.83,133.05,2.09,12.5,30.68,[157,158,160,163,166,168,170,172,174,176,179,182],{"date":149,"value":151},{"date":159,"value":152},"2026-05-06",{"date":161,"value":162},"2026-04-22",125.43,{"date":164,"value":165},"2026-04-08",124.51,{"date":125,"value":167},123.94,{"date":130,"value":169},123.51,{"date":134,"value":171},122.7,{"date":139,"value":173},123.79,{"date":144,"value":175},128.07,{"date":177,"value":178},"2026-01-14",120.74,{"date":180,"value":181},"2025-12-31",104.29,{"date":183,"value":184},"2025-12-17",103.44,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":189,"today":190,"last":191,"percentageChange":192,"yearToDate":193,"yearOnYear":194,"oneYearIndexTrend":195,"url":227,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-04-30","monthly","Natural Graphite",82.93,82.39,0.66,1.66,-0.87,[196,197,199,202,205,207,210,212,215,218,221,224],{"date":187,"value":190},{"date":198,"value":191},"2026-03-31",{"date":200,"value":201},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":203,"value":204},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":180,"value":206},81.58,{"date":208,"value":209},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":211,"value":209},"2025-10-31",{"date":213,"value":214},"2025-09-30",81.74,{"date":216,"value":217},"2025-08-29",81.56,{"date":219,"value":220},"2025-07-31",82.47,{"date":222,"value":223},"2025-06-30",83.13,{"date":225,"value":226},"2025-05-30",83.77,"/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":229,"today":230,"last":231,"percentageChange":232,"yearToDate":233,"yearOnYear":234,"oneYearIndexTrend":235,"url":258,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",84.01,79.79,5.29,12.86,12.75,[236,237,238,240,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,256],{"date":187,"value":230},{"date":198,"value":231},{"date":200,"value":239},75.72,{"date":203,"value":241},74.61,{"date":180,"value":243},74.44,{"date":208,"value":245},76,{"date":211,"value":247},72.75,{"date":213,"value":249},71.92,{"date":216,"value":251},71.46,{"date":219,"value":253},70.35,{"date":222,"value":255},67.35,{"date":225,"value":257},65.78,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":260,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":261,"today":262,"last":263,"percentageChange":264,"yearToDate":265,"yearOnYear":265,"oneYearIndexTrend":266,"url":295,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-11-17","Anode",77.79,77.96,-0.22,-1.93,[267,268,270,272,274,277,280,282,284,287,290,292],{"date":260,"value":262},{"date":269,"value":263},"2025-10-15",{"date":271,"value":263},"2025-09-15",{"date":273,"value":263},"2025-08-15",{"date":275,"value":276},"2025-07-15",77.93,{"date":278,"value":279},"2025-06-16",78.88,{"date":281,"value":279},"2025-05-15",{"date":283,"value":279},"2025-04-15",{"date":285,"value":286},"2025-03-17",79.89,{"date":288,"value":289},"2025-02-17",78.97,{"date":291,"value":289},"2025-01-15",{"date":293,"value":294},"2024-12-16",79.32,"/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":297,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":298,"today":299,"last":300,"percentageChange":301,"yearToDate":301,"yearOnYear":302,"oneYearIndexTrend":303,"url":327,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-01-15","Cathode",72.79,64.08,13.59,43.38,[304,305,307,309,311,313,315,317,318,320,322,325],{"date":297,"value":299},{"date":306,"value":300},"2025-12-15",{"date":260,"value":308},62.01,{"date":269,"value":310},53.51,{"date":271,"value":312},49.5,{"date":273,"value":314},47.28,{"date":275,"value":316},46.05,{"date":278,"value":316},{"date":281,"value":319},48.08,{"date":283,"value":321},48.92,{"date":323,"value":324},"2025-03-18",52.79,{"date":288,"value":326},50.86,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":329,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":330,"today":331,"last":332,"percentageChange":333,"yearToDate":334,"yearOnYear":335,"oneYearIndexTrend":336,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[337,338,340,343,346,349,352,355,358,361,364,367],{"date":329,"value":331},{"date":339,"value":332},"2025-02-28",{"date":341,"value":342},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":344,"value":345},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":347,"value":348},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":350,"value":351},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":353,"value":354},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":356,"value":357},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":359,"value":360},"2024-07-31",82.99,{"date":362,"value":363},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":365,"value":366},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":368,"value":369},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":372,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":373,"today":374,"last":375,"percentageChange":376,"yearToDate":377,"yearOnYear":378,"oneYearIndexTrend":379,"url":411,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-21","Black Mass",54.15,51.47,5.21,25.5,92.33,[380,381,383,386,389,392,395,398,401,404,406,408],{"date":372,"value":374},{"date":382,"value":375},"2026-05-07",{"date":384,"value":385},"2026-04-23",48.63,{"date":387,"value":388},"2026-04-09",48.6,{"date":390,"value":391},"2026-03-26",47.29,{"date":393,"value":394},"2026-03-12",46.18,{"date":396,"value":397},"2026-02-26",45.8,{"date":399,"value":400},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":402,"value":403},"2026-01-29",49.57,{"date":297,"value":405},43.15,{"date":180,"value":407},47.05,{"date":409,"value":410},"2025-12-18",41.51,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":413,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":414,"today":415,"last":416,"percentageChange":417,"yearToDate":418,"yearOnYear":419,"oneYearIndexTrend":420,"url":449,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-03-19","Rare Earths",172.27,182.38,-5.54,20.73,54.49,[421,422,424,427,430,432,435,437,440,443,445,447],{"date":413,"value":415},{"date":423,"value":416},"2026-03-05",{"date":425,"value":426},"2026-02-19",179.86,{"date":428,"value":429},"2026-02-05",155.4,{"date":431,"value":429},"2026-01-22",{"date":433,"value":434},"2026-01-08",145.37,{"date":46,"value":436},142.69,{"date":438,"value":439},"2025-12-11",141.67,{"date":441,"value":442},"2025-11-27",136.29,{"date":211,"value":444},132.15,{"date":213,"value":446},139.82,{"date":216,"value":448},145.27,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":451,"today":452,"last":453,"percentageChange":454,"yearToDate":455,"yearOnYear":456,"oneYearIndexTrend":457,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",111.93,124.92,-10.4,-2.67,-3.42,[458,459,460,462,464,466,469,471,473,475,477,479],{"date":213,"value":452},{"date":216,"value":453},{"date":219,"value":461},109.9,{"date":222,"value":463},100.47,{"date":225,"value":465},103.62,{"date":467,"value":468},"2025-04-30",109.47,{"date":329,"value":470},115.87,{"date":339,"value":472},117.3,{"date":341,"value":474},114.57,{"date":344,"value":476},115,{"date":347,"value":478},117.82,{"date":350,"value":480},111.9,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":482,"today":483,"last":484,"percentageChange":485,"yearToDate":486,"yearOnYear":487,"oneYearIndexTrend":488,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",99.44,96.91,2.61,2.37,-3.84,[489,490,491,493,495,497,499,501,503,505,506,508],{"date":213,"value":483},{"date":216,"value":484},{"date":219,"value":492},97.09,{"date":222,"value":494},94.93,{"date":225,"value":496},97.13,{"date":467,"value":498},97.89,{"date":329,"value":500},101.4,{"date":339,"value":502},93.25,{"date":341,"value":504},98.94,{"date":344,"value":496},{"date":347,"value":507},98.69,{"date":350,"value":509},101.87,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":511,"today":512,"last":513,"percentageChange":514,"yearToDate":515,"yearOnYear":516,"oneYearIndexTrend":517,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":717,"relatedVideos":718},112471134464336,"25889d3e-0133-4bdb-8e7d-0fc6559ce35d","China’s lithium vulnerability: reliance on imports set to rise this decade","chinas-lithium-vulnerability-reliance-on-imports-set-to-rise-this-decade","article/chinas-lithium-vulnerability-reliance-on-imports-set-to-rise-this-decade",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":562,"content":572,"excerpt":691,"featured":50,"reporter":692,"_editable":696,"component":697,"seo_title":543,"categories":698,"visibility":707,"author_company":49,"data_vis_image":708,"featured_image":712,"seo_description":691,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":715,"formattedArticleDate":716},"21ddb9f7-e782-41a6-9f46-001a50cfb631","2023-06-29 00:00",[550,553,556,559],{"slug":551,"name":552},"africa","Africa",{"slug":554,"name":555},"australia","Australia",{"slug":557,"name":558},"china","China",{"slug":560,"name":561},"data-visualisation","Data Visualisation",[563],{"slug":564,"name":565,"content":566},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":567,"image":568,"bio":570,"linkedin":571},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":569},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":573,"content":574},"doc",[575,592,597,610,619,632,639,658,663,668,673,686],{"type":576,"attrs":577,"content":578},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[579,582,590],{"text":580,"type":581},"Despite 60% of lithium chemicals globally being ","text",{"text":583,"type":581,"marks":584},"produced in China",[585],{"type":586,"attrs":587},"link",{"href":588,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/infographic-chinas-lithium-ion-battery-supply-chain-dominance","url",{"text":591,"type":581}," last year, the vast majority of this is not produced from domestic feedstock materials.",{"type":576,"attrs":593,"content":594},{"textAlign":49},[595],{"text":596,"type":581},"In China, 86% of lithium chemicals, such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, are derived from hard rock sources. ",{"type":576,"attrs":598,"content":599},{"textAlign":49},[600,602,608],{"text":601,"type":581},"In 2030, China is forecast to mine 265,000 tonnes LCE of hard rock domestically, but Chinese converters will demand 1.2 million tonnes LCE of hard rock. Consequently China’s conversion industry is heavily reliant on hard rock imports from other countries, with 90% coming from Australia and an ",{"text":603,"type":581,"marks":604},"increasing proportion from Africa",[605],{"type":586,"attrs":606},{"href":607,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/we-believe-africa-will-be-the-next-good-opportunity-for-lithium-qa-with-wang-xiaoshen-of-ganfeng-lithium",{"text":609,"type":581},".",{"type":576,"attrs":611,"content":612},{"textAlign":49},[613],{"type":614,"attrs":615},"image",{"id":49,"alt":616,"src":617,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":618},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/9b806f7ec9/bm-china-import.png",{},{"type":576,"attrs":620,"content":621},{"textAlign":49},[622,624,630],{"text":623,"type":581},"Australia is the world’s largest producer of spodumene and 88% of its output was from projects in which a Chinese company was a top three shareholder, according to ",{"text":625,"type":581,"marks":626},"Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast",[627],{"type":586,"attrs":628},{"href":629,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/forecasts/lithium",{"text":631,"type":581},". Although China’s presence in Australia is forecast to decrease by 2030, Chinese companies will still have involvement in 64% of Australian spodumene production that year.",{"type":633,"attrs":634,"content":636},"heading",{"level":635,"textAlign":49},4,[637],{"text":638,"type":581},"China in Africa",{"type":576,"attrs":640,"content":641},{"textAlign":49},[642,648,650,656],{"text":643,"type":581,"marks":644},"China’s presence in Africa is even stronger",[645],{"type":586,"attrs":646},{"href":647,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/china-set-to-dominate-african-lithium-production-this-decade",{"text":649,"type":581},", in part due to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese companies are associated with 93% of ",{"text":651,"type":581,"marks":652},"Africa’s mined lithium",[653],{"type":586,"attrs":654},{"href":655,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/byd-eyes-african-lithium-as-chinese-companies-invest-in-continent",{"text":657,"type":581}," output. ",{"type":576,"attrs":659,"content":660},{"textAlign":49},[661],{"text":662,"type":581},"And although an increasing number of Australian and US-owned companies will set up operations in the region by 2030, Benchmark forecasts Chinese involvement to only drop slightly to 83% of the region’s output.",{"type":576,"attrs":664,"content":665},{"textAlign":49},[666],{"text":667,"type":581},"Africa is forecast to account for 18% of global lithium hard rock mining in 2030, up from 2.3% last year.",{"type":576,"attrs":669,"content":670},{"textAlign":49},[671],{"text":672,"type":581},"An increasing number of African countries are imposing export bans of direct shipping ore–that is raw mined material that hasn’t been processed–in order to capture a greater share of the lithium value chain. ",{"type":576,"attrs":674,"content":675},{"textAlign":49},[676,678,684],{"text":677,"type":581},"Namibia this month banned such exports, following in the footsteps of ",{"text":679,"type":581,"marks":680},"Zimbabwe, which implemented a ban in December last year",[681],{"type":586,"attrs":682},{"href":683,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":589},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/zimbabwes-lithium-ore-export-ban-highlights-africas-lithium-potential",{"text":685,"type":581},". Zimbabwe accounted for 1.4% of global lithium hard rock mining in 2022 and is forecast to reach 10% of global supply in 2030. However, spodumene concentrate can still be exported from Zimbabwe, which is the form of lithium most Chinese companies in the country intend to produce.",{"type":576,"attrs":687,"content":688},{"textAlign":49},[689],{"text":690,"type":581},"“It’s pretty unlikely that China is at risk of being cut off from its feedstock supply completely, particularly before lithium chemical production can increase outside of China,” Claudia Cook, an analyst at Benchmark, said. “Even when it does increase, there will likely be plenty of non-integrated mines that would happily send lithium products to China.”","Despite 60% of lithium chemicals globally being produced in China last year, the vast majority of this is not produced from domestic feedstock materials. In China, 86% of lithium chemicals, such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, are derived from hard rock sources. In 2030, China is forecast to mine 265,000 tonnes LCE of hard […]",[693],{"slug":564,"name":565,"content":694},{"job_title":567,"image":695,"bio":570,"linkedin":571},{"filename":569},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"21ddb9f7-e782-41a6-9f46-001a50cfb631\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[699,702,705],{"slug":700,"name":701},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":703,"name":704},"geopolitics","Geopolitics",{"slug":706,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":616,"name":616,"focus":616,"title":616,"source":616,"filename":709,"copyright":616,"fieldtype":710,"meta_data":711,"is_external_url":51},"https://res.cloudinary.com/benchmarkminerals/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1692312134/www-production/China-import-1/China-import-1.png?_i=AA","asset",{"alt":616,"title":616,"source":616,"copyright":616},{"id":49,"alt":616,"name":616,"focus":616,"title":616,"source":616,"filename":713,"copyright":616,"fieldtype":710,"meta_data":714,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/09882d2389/bm-china-import-dependence-featured.png",{"alt":616,"title":616,"source":616,"copyright":616},"Jun 29, 2023","29th June 2023",[],[],1782746831467]