SQM Reports Record Lithium Sales Despite Price Downturn

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM), a global leader in lithium production, delivered unprecedented shipment volumes in the first quarter of 2025. This performance came amid a persistent decline in lithium prices, now hovering at multi-year lows. SQM leverages its competitive cost structure to bolster market presence, even as sector profitability faces pressure due to softer pricing in the global battery metals landscape.

Surging Volumes Offset Price Weakness

While spot and contract lithium prices continue to retreat, SQM increased its sales by 27% year-over-year in the first three months of 2025. The primary drivers for this growth include robust electric vehicle (EV) deployment—particularly in China (CN)—and accelerating demand for stationary energy storage solutions. These underlying factors supported higher volumes, even as margins compressed due to the adverse pricing environment.

Financial Highlights Reflecting Complex Landscape

SQM reported EBITDA (earnings before provisions) of 360 million USD for the period, a figure that surpassed analyst estimates, though it represented a decrease versus the prior year. Despite this operational resilience, the company's shares (SQM, NYSE:SQM) declined 3.3% in Wednesday trading in New York, a steeper drop than comparable sector peers. Year-to-date, SQM stock has retreated 13%, underscoring ongoing investor concerns over lithium price trajectories.

Key Developments Shaping the Quarter

1. Lithium sales achieved record quarterly volumes, driven by strong end-market appetite in EVs and grid storage applications.

2. Unit revenues faced significant pressure as lithium prices continued to fall, impacting total income.

3. EBITDA outperformed consensus forecasts, reflecting SQM’s ability to control costs and optimize production.

4. Equity performance lagged the broader mining group, with shares sliding both on the day of the earnings release and since the start of 2025.

5. Expansion in lithium output positions SQM to gain further share as low-cost operations buffer against market volatility.

Broader Implications for Battery Metals

SQM’s quarterly achievements highlight the ongoing divergence in the battery raw materials market: high-volume growth remains possible, even as lower price points squeeze returns across the lithium supply chain. The company’s tactical advantage, anchored in scalable extraction within Chile’s Atacama salt flats, enables it to withstand cyclical downturns more robustly than higher-cost rivals.

Long-Term Outlook and Sector Dynamics

With global EV adoption expected to accelerate and novel demand from grid-scale energy storage emerging, foundational players like SQM are betting on efficiency and scale. While the near-term price outlook for lithium remains uncertain, cost leadership could determine which producers outpace peers as the sector adapts to shifting supply-demand balances.