Category: Bolivia 🇧🇴

The dispute over lithium and its industrialization has generated tensions between China, the United States, and Latin American countries. Bolivia seeks to collaborate with China in industrializing its lithium deposits, which has raised concerns in the United States. China, as the leading consumer and manufacturer of lithium batteries, is intended to secure its supply and has formed alliances with lithium-rich countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.

Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) President, Carlos Ramos, announced that four Chinese companies, namely Citic Guoan, Tbea Group, CATL BRUNP & CMOC (CBC), and Fusion Enertech, have successfully conducted tests of their Direct Lithium Lithiation Extraction (DLE) technology in Bolivia’s Potosí and Oruro salt flats. These companies participated in YLB’s international tender for EDL technology selection, and so far, CBC is the only one that has signed an agreement with the Bolivian government.