In January 2026, there was an escalation in the price of lithium fluoride in the USA due to dwindling supplies across the globe and the demand created by the battery industry, driving spot and contract offers up. As the USA continues to be a net importer of lithium fluoride, US buyers must bear the full effects associated with the rise in Asian benchmark prices, rising freight costs, and the limited export availability of the product. Due to the increase in activity by US producers of lithium-ion battery electrolytes, there were many producers of electrolytes and specialty chemicals who began purchasing larger volumes to secure Q1 purchases. Reports from market participants included many price increases in East Asian markets, which corresponded to high landed costs for cargoes in the USA. Support for demand was provided via continued expansion of manufacturing of both electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage products, with USA EV sales of over 1.2 million units in 2025 and worldwide production of batteries nearing 1 terawatt hour of output.
