The rapid growth of electric vehicles and large-scale battery storage applications for electronic devices is increasing Lithium demand – and price risk. Lithium futures offer price transparency and efficient risk management and are financially settled each business day of the contract month, based on monthly average of assessments published by Fastmarkets, a leading commodities benchmark data provider.
Lithium is the poster element of the energy transition, and it will take time to grow into its role as one of the most significant materials of the 22nd Century. Read why Lithium prices, from concentrates to chemicals, have been surging in recent months.
Lithium futures (ticker symbol LTH) are designed to offer participants in the supply chain for battery metals a way to manage risk, while giving other participants access to trading opportunities.
Enjoy the price discovery and transparency of a centralized marketplace.
Hedge using a centrally cleared instrument, mitigating counterparty credit risk.
Trade from anywhere in the world via the electronic CME Globex platform.
Get Lithium market access without having to manage physical delivery.
| Contract Title | Lithium Hydroxide CIF CJK (Fastmarkets) Futures |
| CME Globex/CME ClearPort Code | LTH |
| Rulebook Chapter | 646 |
| Settlement Type | Financial |
| Contract Size | 1,000 kg (kilograms) |
| Listing Schedule | Monthly contracts listed for twelve (12) consecutive months. Add a new contract month after the nearby expiry. |
| Pricing Quotation | U.S. dollars and cents per kilogram |
| First Listed Month | May 2021 |
| Minimum Price Fluctuation | $0.01 per kg |
| Value per tick | $10.00 |
| Block Trade Minimum Threshold | 2 contracts – subject to a minimum 15-minute reporting window |
| Termination of Trading | Trading terminates on the last Thursday of the contract month. If this is not a U.S. business day, trading terminates on the prior U.S. business day. |
| CME Globex Matching Algorithm | First in First Out (FIFO) |
| Trading and Clearing Hours | CME Globex: Sunday - Friday 6:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/ET (5:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Central Time/CT) with a 60-minute break each day beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. CT) CME Globex: PreOpen: Sunday 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT). Monday – Friday 5:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET (4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT) CME ClearPort: Sunday – Friday 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT) with a 60-minute break each day beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. CT) |
- Right click on the buttons below
- Save the files as an .XML on your computer
- In CME Direct, select import view in the main menu
- Import the grid into CME Direct
It is the assessment for “Lithium hydroxide monohydrate min 56.5% LiOH.H2O battery grade spot price, US$ per kg CIF China, Japan & South Korea” (code MB-LI-0033). This assessment tracks the price of battery-grade lithium hydroxide in North Asia and is published weekly. More information about the Fastmarkets methodology is available here.
The final settlement price will be equal to the arithmetic average of all available weekly price assessments published for “Lithium hydroxide monohydrate min 56.5% LiOH.H2O battery grade spot price, US$ per kg CIF China, Japan & South Korea” in $/kilogram by Fastmarkets during the contract month.
Contact your clearing member or metals@cmegroup.com to receive more information on preparing to trade the contract on CME Globex and/or as a block trade on CME ClearPort.
There are minimum quantity and reporting time requirements for LTH block trades. The minimum block trade size is two contracts, and trades need to be reported by the broker or by the counterparties for a bilateral trade within 15 minutes of execution.
If you're new to futures, the courses below can help you quickly understand the market and start trading.
© 2022 CME Group Inc. All rights reserved.