Lithium Rises 50% YTD

2026-05-05 14:31 By Andre Joaquim 1 min. read

Lithium carbonate prices in China surpassed CNY 175,000 per tonne in May, gaining 50% this year toward to approach the highest level since 2023 amid growing long-term demand.

The surge in crude oil and product prices since the start of March supported the outlook for larger economies to favor new energy vehicles, which use batteries that take lithium as a major input.

Likewise, BYD forecasted it will sell 1.5 million units overseas this year, revised higher from the January estimate of 1.3 million units.

Demand also remained supported by Chinese investment in power infrastructure, recently consolidated with Beijing stating it would double national EV charging capacity to 180 gigawatts by 2027.

Fresh buying is also featured from data center operators, whose power storage systems require more lithium than those used by EVs, on the historical capital investments by AI companies and hardware producers.



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