Mapping the Supply Chain of Lithium-Ion Battery Metals from Mine to Primary Processing by Country and Corporation

Global critical mineral production patterns differ markedly across the metals needed for advanced energy technologies. This study examines the extraction and processing landscape, in the year 2024, of six key commodities—lithium, cobalt, aluminum, nickel, manganese, and copper—to identify who the major players (countries and corporations) are in the critical mineral space and to understand what they are mining, where they are mining, and where are they sending their ore to be processed. This study aims to provide a snapshot of the critical mineral supply chain that serves as a useful resource for researchers and policymakers seeking to understand and improve the critical mineral supply chain. We analyze company financial filings, government datasets, and other public and proprietary sources for the year 2024. Then, we calculate production volumes and identify geographic and corporate concentration. The results show that copper and aluminum production and processing are relatively diverse, while lithium and cobalt extraction and processing are highly concentrated among a few countries and dominant firms. Nickel and manganese occupy an intermediate position, displaying moderate diversity with emerging signs of consolidation.