Lithium Carbonate & Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate (Battery & Technical Grade)

Battery-grade Li₂CO₃ at 99.5% and LiOH·H₂O at 56.5% LiOH, plus technical grades, in bags by container

Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are the two chemicals that cathode makers buy, and the grade decides the buyer. Battery-grade lithium carbonate is specified at 99.5% Li₂CO₃ or higher with tight limits on sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and sulphate, and goes into lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and other cathodes and into electrolyte salts. Battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH·H₂O) is specified at 56.5% LiOH minimum, the floor in China's GB/T 8766 standard, and is preferred for high-nickel NMC and NCA cathodes. Technical grades carry more impurity and go to glass and ceramics, lubricating grease and industrial chemicals. Carbonate is HS 2836.91 and hydroxide sits under HS 2825.20 with lithium oxide. The 2024 export declarations under HS 2836.91 total USD 3.09 billion and about 305,000 MT across 46 reporters, led by Chile at USD 2.33 billion and 233,700 MT and Argentina at USD 406 million and 47,600 MT, with Korea, the Netherlands, China and Germany far behind. Under HS 2825.20 the total is USD 2.77 billion and about 179,000 MT, led by China at USD 2.22 billion and 120,700 MT, then Chile at USD 197 million and the USA at USD 169 million. Those are declared export values, not offers.

The buyer is a cathode or precursor plant, a battery-cell maker, an electrolyte producer, or a glass, ceramics or grease plant for technical grade, and the offer is a price per metric tonne for a stated grade, impurity sheet and pack. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers lithium chemicals from converters and trader allocations in Chile, Argentina and China, against the producer's certificate of analysis per lot, an independent assay on request, a certificate of origin and a safety data sheet. Two rules shape the file: China added cathode material preparation and several lithium extraction and refining technologies to its restricted technology export catalogue in July 2025, which covers the know-how rather than the chemicals; and US buyers check the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list, to which DHS added a Xinjiang lithium carbonate producer in July 2026, and the prohibited foreign entity rules that the 2025 US budget law attached to clean-energy tax credits. Lithium chemicals move in 500 kg or 1 MT jumbo bags, or 25 kg bags on pallets, in 20-ft dry containers on FOB, CFR and CIF terms; minimum lots are confirmed per product and pack. Send the chemical, grade, impurity limits, tonnage and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.