Lithium Bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) Commercial Market Intelligence and Analytical Forecast

I. Market Price Dynamics
- Recent Quotations: From May 11 to May 12, 2026, the market quotation for lithium bis(oxalato)borate remained stable at RMB 850,000–851,000 per ton. Specifically, Suzhou Senfeida Chemical Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu Province) quoted RMB 850,000/ton, while Shandong Yihé Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. quoted RMB 851,000/ton.
- Price Trend: Since April 2026, LiBOB prices have exhibited a mild upward fluctuation trend. The average price in April 2026 stood at RMB 850,666.67/ton, representing an approximately 1% increase month-on-month compared to March.

II. Supply-Demand Analysis
- Supply Side:
- Production Capacity Distribution: A domestic supply structure dominated by Jiangsu Guotai, Shenzhen Capchem (New Bund), and Tianqi Materials has been established. In 2025, Jiangsu Guotai’s electronic-grade LiBOB production capacity reached 1,800 tons/year, accounting for 32.6% of national total capacity; Capchem’s capacity was 1,500 tons/year (27.9%); and Tianqi Materials’ capacity was 1,200 tons/year (22.3%).
- Capacity Utilization Rate: In 2025, the overall capacity utilization rate for electronic-grade LiBOB in China reached 91.4%, up 4.7 percentage points year-on-year from 2024—indicating that the industry has fully transitioned from the prior technology validation phase into a commercial mass-production cycle.
- New Capacity Additions: In 2026, new capacity releases are proceeding rationally. According to MIIT monitoring data, the total planned new industry capacity amounts to only 4,800 tons, corresponding to a theoretical maximum supply increment of ~RMB 21 million—far below the RMB 475 million incremental market demand. Consequently, the supply-demand gap is expected to remain at approximately 13%.

- Demand Side:
- Market Size: In 2025, China’s electronic-grade LiBOB market size reached RMB 1.268 billion, growing 18.3% year-on-year; it is projected to further expand to RMB 1.499 billion in 2026, representing a 18.2% YoY increase.
- Application Structure: Power lithium-ion batteries remain the largest consumption segment, accounting for 58.3% of total demand in 2025 (~4,280 tons); energy storage battery applications rose rapidly to 26.1% (~1,915 tons), an increase of 4.9 percentage points over 2024; consumer electronics battery share contracted to 15.6%.
- Downstream Drivers: New energy vehicle (NEV) sales continue growing at an annual rate of 25.3% (projected to reach 11.5 million units in 2026); new energy storage installations grew 42.7% year-on-year to 142 GWh—both driving sustained growth in LiBOB demand.

III. Industry Policies and Standards
- Policy Support: National and ministerial authorities have introduced multiple policies supporting LiBOB industrial development. For instance, the ‘Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the New Energy Storage Manufacturing Industry’ explicitly identifies high-stability electrolyte functional additives as critical technological focus areas and sets a quantitative target of no less than 75% domestic localization rate by 2025 (actual achievement: 76.3%).
- Stricter Standards: GB/T 42287-2022 ‘Technical Specification for Electrolyte Additives for Lithium-Ion Batteries’ entered full mandatory enforcement in 2026. Tighter testing requirements will further raise market entry barriers for small- and medium-sized manufacturers, pushing industry concentration upward—from 67.3% in 2025 to an estimated 74.1% in 2026.

IV. Competitive Landscape Analysis
- Leading Enterprises: Tianqi Materials, Jiangsu Guotai, and Capchem hold dominant market positions. In 2025, their respective market shares were 18.2%, 35.8%, and 10.7%. Looking ahead to 2026: Tianqi Materials’ Huizhou Phase II facility (6,000 tons/year) is expected to come online, lifting its market share to 32.1%; Jiangsu Guotai’s Lianyungang facility (3,000 tons/year), coupled with long-term supply contracts with Eve Energy, will see its share slightly rise to 22.0%; and Do-Fluoride’s Jiaozuo base technical upgrade project completion will maintain its share stably at 17.2%.
- New Entrants: YAN YI New Materials and Funiu Technology have jointly established a collaborative laboratory. If they successfully pass the B-sample validation test conducted by SVOLT Energy in 2026, they may become the first new entrant to break into the Top-3 suppliers’ closed-loop ecosystem.

V. Future Trend Forecast
- Price Outlook: Supported by persistent supply-demand gaps, stable raw material costs, and continuous technological iteration, LiBOB prices in 2026 are expected to remain steady with moderate upward momentum, with the annual average likely exceeding RMB 860,000/ton.
- Technological Advancement: The industry will advance toward higher purity, enhanced consistency, and improved compatibility. Dual-salt synergistic systems (LiBOB + LiODFB) compatible with >4.45 V high-voltage lithium cobalt oxide cathodes have already achieved batch application in consumer electronics, fueling renewed demand growth.
- Market Expansion: Breakthroughs have been achieved in validating LiBOB as a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) film-forming co-additive in sodium-ion battery electrolytes; this is projected to contribute ~120 tons of incremental demand in 2026. Accelerated commercialization of solid-state batteries will further broaden application horizons.
- Competitive Focus: Future competition will center on materials genome design, AI-assisted electrolyte formulation matching, and localized service capabilities for multinational clients—further consolidating the competitive advantages of leading enterprises.