South America poised to capture US lithium demand surge

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South America is well-positioned to meet rising US demand for lithium.

Shipping lithium from Chile and Argentina to the US is about 15 days quicker and $60 cheaper per ton than sending it to China.

With South America already supplying 30% of global lithium, building closer ties could help the US  reduce reliance on China for battery materials.

Analysts at S&P Global Energy CERA expect prices to decline again due to ongoing uncertainties around project economics and don’t expect sustained recovery until 2027.

The big question now is: Can collaboration across the Americas strengthen the supply chain, or will lower prices limit growth and investment?