Global and China Lithium Carbonate Industry Report, 2008-2010 (3rd Edition) - new market report just published

China´s proven lithium reserves (convert into pure lithium) have reached 3.35 million tons, representing the third largest salt lake brine lithium reserves in the World. Lithium is the lightest metal and widely applied in the sectors such as battery, ceramics, glass, aluminum, lubricant and refrigerating agent, as well as the nuclear and photoelectric, and the lithium carbonate is the basic 
material for the production of lithium metal.

China is one of the countries with the largest lithium reserves in the world. China´s proven lithium reserves (convert into pure lithium) have reached 3.35 million tons, ranking the 3rd place in the world in terms of salt lake brine lithium reserves , and the fourth place in terms of lithium ore resources. And China´s prospective reserves of lithium resource are more substantial.

The same as the year of 2007, in the world, the sectors consumed the most of lithium carbonate in 2008 were battery, lubricant, ceramics and glass, with a proportion of 27%, 12%, 9% and 8% respectively, while the proportion in 2007 was 25%, 12%, 10% and 8% respectively. The lithium carbonate consumption by the battery sector has further increased, while the consumption was a bit down by the traditional sectors like ceramics.

By the end of 2008, the global lithium carbonate demand was 95,400 tons, up 2.9% year on year, and the CAGR for global lithium carbonate demand in the past ten years was over 7%. Chile, China and Argentina were the top three countries in terms of lithium carbonate production capacity, and they were together satisfied 94% of global lithium carbonate demand. Especially the China, its global market share increased to 26% in 2007 from 21% in 2006, but the figure declined to 24% in 2008 as a result of natural disasters.

China´s demand for lithium carbonate has also grown rapidly. Starting from 2008, China entered a releasing period of lithium carbonate productions. It is expected that China´s lithium carbonate output will reach 45,000 tons and its designed production capacity will surpass 60,000 tons by 2010.