Chinese firms have already invested in lithium hydroxide refineries in Western Australia.

The government will set up a new international program to attract investment linked to markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, India and the European Union.

Investors are placing pressure on the carmaker to carry out an audit \ in Xinjiang, where  human rights abuses have been documented.

Chile is already the world’s no. 2 producer of lithium after Australia. But demand is exploding worldwide.

Lynas is racing to complete construction of the plant to handle cracking and leaching.

Lithium resources in Bolivia's iconic salt flats are estimated at 21 million metric tons, according to the USGS.

The developer hiked spending estimates from $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion.