Mali exported 338,773 metric tons of lithium concentrate to China in 2025, worth 284.3bn FCFA (€433mn), export promotion agency APEX-Mali said in an October 9 interview reported by APA. Mali's total exports to China increased 235% from 2024, the agency said.
Analysis: The export value implies about 839,000 FCFA (€1,280) per ton of concentrate, by our calculation. China's embassy in Bamako estimated growth in Malian exports to China at 170% in March, against APEX-Mali's 235%, a discrepancy APA attributes to different coverage or comparison periods. Lithium from Ganfeng's Goulamina mine now leads those exports, ahead of sesame and cotton, making receipts and trade-finance flows more sensitive to lithium prices. INSTAT's full-year 2025 trade figures, for which no publication date has been announced, should provide an official comparison.
Source: APA News, APEX-Mali deputy director general interview, 9 Oct 2026 (as reported by APA, 12 Oct 2026), 2025; APA News, Embassy of China in Bamako, March 2026 (as reported by APA, 12 Oct 2026), 2025