Global Lithium Producers of 2026
2025 LCE: Albemarle sales 235 kt; SQM production 234 kt; Ganfeng 182 kt.
Main table: 2025 lithium chemicals / LCE
Compiled 2026-08-12. Ranked by company-disclosed 2025 LCE or lithium-chemicals output (kt). Peers: copper, nickel, aluminum.
| # | Company | 2025 (kt) | YoY | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albemarle | 235 | +14% | Energy Storage sales LCE (salts + spodumene) |
| 2 | SQM | 234 | — | Production LCE; ~260 targeted for 2026 |
| 3 | Ganfeng Lithium | 182.4 | +40% | Basic chemicals output (t LCE); sales 184.8 |
| 4 | Tianqi Lithium | 87.9 | +24.4% | Compounds & derivatives output; sales ~86.7 |
| 5 | Rio Tinto (ex Arcadium) | 57 | n/a | LCE; ~46 attributable after Mar 2025 close |
| 6 | Salt Lake Co. (盐湖股份) | 46.5 | — | Lithium carbonate output; sales 45.6 |
Albemarle and SQM sit near 230 kt. Albemarle’s figure is sales LCE including spodumene; SQM’s is brine-based production. Ganfeng’s 182.4 kt LCE basic chemicals pins the China converter scale. Tianqi reports ~88 kt chemicals plus Greenbushes/SQM equity; Rio Tinto enters via the Arcadium deal.
Hard-rock / mine snapshot
| Asset | 2025 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Greenbushes (Talison) | 1.35 Mt concentrate | 1.30 Mt chemical + 0.05 Mt technical |
| PLS (ex-Pilbara) | 754.6 kt spodumene (+4%) | FY25 to 2025-06-30 |
| USGS world mine Li | ~290 kt Li content (+31%) | Metal content; consumption ~263 kt |
How we ranked
Main table uses disclosed 2025 LCE / chemicals volumes (top six). Spodumene concentrate and USGS mine lithium sit in the supplement. Albemarle’s sales LCE mixes salts and spodumene; SQM/Ganfeng/Tianqi lean chemical output. Board defaults to S–D.
| Source | When | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Albemarle FY2025 | 2026 | 235 kt LCE sales |
| SQM FY2025 call | 2026-03 | 234 kt LCE production |
| Ganfeng operating data | 2026 | 182.4 kt LCE |
| Rio Tinto FY2025 | 2026-02 | 57 / 46 kt LCE |
| PLS FY25 | 2025-08 | 754.6 kt spodumene |
| USGS MCS 2026 | 2026 | ~290 kt mine Li |
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