In May 2026, Chile's lithium carbonate exports stood at 19,100 mt, and lithium sulfate exports at 14,200 mt.

On the evening of June 8, Zhejiang Yongtai Technology Co., Ltd. issued an announcement stating that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Zhejiang Yongtai New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., recently signed an "Electrolyte Cooperation Agreement" with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL). According to the agreement, subject to Yongtai New Energy's product quality being stable and its raw material prices being competitive compared to other suppliers within CATL's supplier system, CATL plans to purchase electrolyte from Yongtai New Energy in quantities of 70,000 tons, 150,000 tons, and 250,000 tons for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively. The total estimated procurement volume over the three years is 470,000 tons.

Developing local processing capacity is not simply a matter of building another plant next to a mine. It requires a country to simultaneously possess reliable energy supply, logistics infrastructure, chemical-industry capabilities, engineering expertise, customer qualification systems, access to financing, policy continuity and transparent pricing mechanisms. Resources can attract investment, but they cannot guarantee project success.

On June 3, the Yichang Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment issued a public notice soliciting comments on the draft environmental impact report for the 300,000-ton waste lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery recycling project of Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. This project is an expansion, with a total investment of 1,065.5119 million yuan. Upon completion, the project will have an annual processing capacity of 300,000 tons of waste LFP battery packs, including waste LFP power battery packs, battery modules, battery cells, battery powder, electrode sheet powder, and related materials.