According to Chinese customs data, China's lithium hydroxide imports in July 2026 reached 8,322.16 tonnes, up 89.1% month-over-month from 4,400.35 tonnes in June; exports totaled 6,419.51 tonnes, up 6.7% from 6,018 tonnes in June. For the month, China turned into a net importer of lithium hydroxide.
On the import side, the primary source in July was Indonesia, with imports of 4,444.37 tonnes accounting for 53.4% of the total, mainly attributed to the concentrated arrival of previously accumulated shipments. Other sources included South Korea (1,361.97 tonnes), domestic bonded warehouse zones in China (1,130.11 tonnes), Australia (690.89 tonnes), Argentina (399.74 tonnes), and Germany (295 tonnes). Imports from Indonesia surged nearly fivefold month-over-month, making it the largest incremental source.
On the export side, China's lithium hydroxide exports were mainly destined for South Korea and Japan. Shipments to South Korea reached 4,783.69 tonnes, accounting for 74.5% of total exports; exports to Japan totaled 1,304.00 tonnes, representing 20.3%; and shipments to the Netherlands stood at 227.01 tonnes. Other destinations included Thailand (38 tonnes), Brazil (20 tonnes), and Singapore (20 tonnes), all in smaller quantities.
In summary, on the import front, the large influx of overseas lithium hydroxide has increased domestic market availability over the past two months, significantly capping the price upside for July–August. On the export front, modest recovery in overseas demand in recent months has kept exports above 6,000 tonnes per month, maintaining a relatively high level.
