Chile's lithium exports totaled US$5,171 million between January and October 2026, up 165% from the same period of 2025, according to the advance foreign trade report of the Undersecretariat for International Economic Relations (Subrei), published on 9 November with Central Bank and Customs data. Lithium carbonate contributed US$3,839 million, or 74% of the total.
Copper remains the core of the basket: shipments reached US$54,655 million, up 15.8%, and accounted for 52.5% of everything Chile exported. With lithium, gold and silver, mining shipments totaled US$65,233 million, 22.1% more than in 2025, and total goods exports topped US$100 billion in ten months for the first time.
View the data as a table
| Lithium exports | US$5,171 million |
| Copper exports | US$54,655 million |
| Average copper price | US$6.14 per pound |
| Mining shipments | US$65,233 million |
Lithium exports: from US$1.95 billion to US$5.17 billion
A 165% increase implies that lithium exports in the first ten months of 2025 were about US$1,951 million, a figure we calculated from Subrei's data. In 2026 lithium almost tripled that value and its weight within mining rose from about 3.7% to 7.9% of mining shipments.
The acceleration shows when compared with the first four months. Between January and April, Subrei had reported lithium shipments of US$2,137 million, including US$1,606 million of carbonate. That means another US$3,034 million was exported between May and October, a pace of about US$506 million a month.
| Product | January-October 2026 | Annual change | January-October 2025 (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium (total) | US$5,171 million | +165% | ~US$1,951 million |
| Lithium carbonate | US$3,839 million | No data | No data |
| Lithium sulfate and hydroxide | ~US$1,332 million | No data | No data |
| Copper (total) | US$54,655 million | +15.8% | US$47,216 million |
| Copper concentrate | US$34,978 million | +10.9% | ~US$31,540 million |
| Copper cathodes | US$16,571 million | +19.4% | ~US$13,879 million |
| Gold | US$3,740 million | Record for the period | No data |
| Silver | US$949 million | Record for the period | No data |
| Total mining | US$65,233 million | +22.1% | US$53,417 million |
Source: Subrei, 9 November 2026, with Central Bank and Customs data. The 2025 figures and the sulfate and hydroxide amount are Energía Futura calculations based on the reported values and changes; Subrei did not publish the sulfate and hydroxide breakdown.
Why lithium exports rose
The jump is mostly explained by price. According to the bimonthly report of the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) cited by CNN Chile, lithium carbonate averaged US$18,922 per tonne in 2026 through 5 August, and on 19 August it traded at US$19,525, a level 106% above the 2025 average, although 12.2% below the mid-May peak.
Volume also grew. Chile produced about 56,000 tonnes of lithium content in 2025, 15% more than in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS); details are in our ranking of the world's largest lithium producers. In the third quarter, Albemarle reported EBITDA three times higher than a year earlier, as we covered in our story on Albemarle's results and lithium payments to Corfo.
By volume, almost all Chilean lithium comes from the Salar de Atacama, where SQM and Albemarle operate. The carbonate is produced at plants in the Antofagasta Region and shipped through northern ports. China is the main buyer: between January and April it accounted for 57% of export value, according to Central Bank data cited by Redimin.
Copper: record price, less concentrate in October
Copper's value grew because of price more than volume. Between January and October the pound averaged US$6.14, 40.1% above the US$4.38 of the same period of 2025. In October it reached US$6.59, the highest monthly average in the series since January 2005, according to Subrei.
Cathodes grew more than concentrates (19.4% versus 10.9%), and in October concentrate shipments fell 15%, dragging mining down 3.2% for the month. Total exports in October were US$10,287 million, just 1.2% more than a year earlier, supported by cathodes, manufactures, lithium carbonate and sulfate, salmon, silver and gold.
| Indicator | Value | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Average copper price, January-October 2026 | US$6.14/lb | +40.1% (US$4.38 in 2025) |
| Average copper price, October 2026 | US$6.59/lb | Highest monthly value since January 2005 |
| Goods exports, January-October | US$104,124 million | +16.6% |
| Goods imports, January-October | US$81,541 million | +5.2% |
| Trade balance, January-October | US$28,273 million | +US$11,063 million |
| October exports | US$10,287 million | +1.2% |
| Mining in October | Down 3.2% | Copper concentrate -15% |
Source: Subrei, advance of the monthly foreign trade report, 9 November 2026.
What lithium exports mean for the energy transition
The lithium that leaves Chile ends up in electric car batteries and energy storage systems. Inside the country, the same kind of batteries already supplies a growing share of electricity: the National Energy Commission expects more than 12,000 MWh of new storage in 2027, as we explained in our story on the batteries that will join the power system.
The other side is the sustainability of the salt flats. The state, through Codelco and its subsidiary Salares de Chile, aims for Chile to be among the world's five largest producers again by 2035, and the National Lithium Strategy requires direct extraction technologies in new operations to reduce water use and evaporation. That debate had its own chapter this week at the first direct lithium extraction symposium held in South America.
For Subrei, the figures confirm the weight of foreign trade. "These record figures show, once again, that foreign trade is a pillar for development," said Undersecretary Paula Estévez. Among non-mining products, food stood out with US$12,107 million (+6.6%) and salmon with US$5,456 million (+8.7%).
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See advertising formatsFrequently asked questions
How much lithium did Chile export in 2026?
Between January and October 2026, US$5,171 million, 165% more than in the same period of 2025, according to Subrei.
How much does lithium carbonate account for?
US$3,839 million, 74% of lithium exports. The rest is lithium sulfate and hydroxide.
How much copper did Chile export between January and October?
US$54,655 million, 15.8% more than in 2025: US$34,978 million in concentrates and US$16,571 million in cathodes.
What was the average copper price in 2026?
US$6.14 per pound between January and October, and US$6.59 in October, the highest monthly average since January 2005.
Why did lithium exports rise so much?
Mainly because of the recovery in lithium carbonate prices, which according to Cochilco doubled the 2025 average by August, and higher production.
