China’s lithium-ion battery exports to the U.S. saw a sharp overall decline in 2025, falling from $15.3 billion in the previous year to $11.9 billion. Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), released the “Analysis of the Lithium Battery Export Market in 2025” report. From an overall market perspective, in 2025, lithium batteries, as a leading category among China’s “New Three” exports, maintained a development trend of stable and progressive growth in scale. Data shows that lithium battery exports for the full year of 2025 reached $76.8 billion, an increase of 26%. Monthly lithium battery export value remained generally stable within the range of $6 billion. From July to September, exports scaled up to $7.1 billion, and in the fourth quarter, export value reached $7.2 billion, overall continuing the trend of slowing growth momentum. Lithium-ion Battery Exports Regarding the structure of lithium battery exports, the European Union is China’s primary export market, accounting for approximately 40% of demand. This share grew by 4 percentage points in 2025 compared to 2024. China’s lithium battery exports to the United States contracted sharply, falling by 9.8 percentage points in 2025 compared to 2024. The lost share was equivalent to the total export volume to Southeast Asia, the third-largest market. U.S. Lithium Battery Demand Analysis Looking at the specifics: In 2025, China’s lithium-ion battery exports to the United States experienced a significant overall decline, dropping from $15.3 billion last year to $11.9 billion this year—a 22% decrease in value. Furthermore, the average export unit price also fell by 24%. Exports to the U.S. in December alone plummeted by 50% to just $1 billion. EU Lithium Battery Demand Analysis The European Union, as China’s largest lithium battery export market, stably accounts for about 40% of global exports. Data indicates that exports to the EU in Q4 2025 reached $8.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 50%, becoming a key driver of export growth. China’s lithium battery exports to the EU grew rapidly, rising from $22.2 billion in 2024 to $31 billion in 2025, an increase of 40%. These exports to the EU offset the decline in exports to the United States, although the average export unit price saw a significant drop of 20%. Focusing solely on December data, China’s lithium battery exports to the EU reached $3.2 billion, growing by 70%, indicating a relatively fast growth rate. From a price trend perspective, the export price of lithium primary batteries saw a slight increase in recent months, although the total volume remains small. Lithium primary battery exports in Q4 2025 amounted to $140 million. Viewed by average unit price, the decline this year was substantial, dropping from USD 27,000/ton in Q4 2024 to USD 24,500/ton. The export price for lithium-ion batteries did not increase in recent months. Exports of lithium-ion accumulators/batteries in Q4 2025 reached $21.4 billion. Viewed by average unit price, the decline this year was significant, falling from USD 18,000/ton in 2024 to USD 15,000/ton in 2025, an 18% decrease in unit price. Looking ahead, the energy storage market is becoming a key growth driver for the lithium battery industry. Some institutions estimate that the growth rate of global energy storage installation demand is expected to exceed 60% in 2026 and maintain a high compound growth rate of 30-50% over the next three years.