Canada Lithium Produces Initial Run of 99.1% Lithium Carbonate; Awarded ISO Certificates

TSX: CLQ; U.S. OTC: CLQMF  

TORONTO, July 2, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Lithium Corp. ("Canada Lithium" or the "Company") (TSX: CLQ) (U.S. OTC: CLQMF) announced today that it has produced its initial run of 99.1% lithium carbonate from its processing plant near Val d'Or, Québec. This material is currently being upgraded to 99.5% battery-grade material with the commissioning of the solvent extraction and bicarbonate circuits. The first shipment to the Tewoo Group in China under the five-year off-take agreement is anticipated to occur later this week.

All the circuits of the mine and plant have now been tested at commissioning-level volumes and the Company has commenced methodically ramping up throughput. The next shipment to Tewoo is currently scheduled for the end of July.

ISO Certification

The Company is also pleased to report it has been awarded Certificates of Registration for both Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety systems. The Environmental Management system certificate was granted for compliance with ISO 14001: 2004, while the OH&S Management system was certified under the BS OHSAS 18001:2007.

Production Schedules

As the plant commissioning continues to progress, production from the mine will gradually be increased in order to build up ore stockpiles at the processing plant. The ramp-up to annual design capacity of 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate is still scheduled to be completed in Q1, 2014 and the impact on the Company's working capital levels is being monitored. Over the next few months the mining operation will add a night shift roster, ore crushing will also move to a two-shift roster and commissioning of the pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical plants will continue to be ramped up.

About Canada Lithium Corp.

The Company holds a 100% interest in the Québec Lithium Project near Val d'Or, the geographical heart of the Québec mining industry. It has completed construction and is in the commissioning phase of an open-pit mine and on-site processing plant with estimated capacity to produce approximately 20,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually. Metallurgical tests have produced battery-grade lithium carbonate samples. A five-year off-take agreement for a minimum of 12,000 tonnes per year was recently signed with Tewoo-ERDC, one of China's largest commodities traders. A second off-take for up to 5,000 tonnes per year was recently signed with Marubeni Corp., a major Japanese commodities trading company. Lithium carbonate is used in lithium-ion batteries that power consumer electronics (laptops, tablets, etc.), power-grid storage facilities and electric and hybrid vehicles. For more information regarding the Company, please refer to the Company's public filings available at www.sedar.com and www.canadalithium.com including, in particular, the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2012 and its Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2012 and the Financials and MD&A for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013. The Company trades under the symbol CLQ on the TSX and on the U.S. OTCQX under the symbol CLQMF.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information is based upon the Company's beliefs, estimates and opinions as at the date of this press release, which the Company believes are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these will prove to be correct. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information contained herein if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Forward-looking information relates to future events or to future conditions, performance or results of operations and reflects current expectations or beliefs regarding such matters including, but not limited to, information or statements with respect to: (i) the amount of mineral resources; (ii) exploration, development and production activities, including information regarding the potential mineralization and resources; (iii) the amount of future output over any period; (iv) net present value and internal rates of return of the mining operation; (v) assumptions relating to capital costs, operating costs and other cost metrics; (vi) assumptions relating to gross revenues, operating cash flow and other revenue metrics; (vii) assumptions relating to future price and demand for lithium and other macroeconomic metrics; (viii) exploration and development plans, including anticipated costs and timing thereof, time frames for completion, and anticipated time to production; (ix) mine potential and expected mine life; and * sources of and anticipated financing requirements.

All information other than matters of historical fact may be forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "project", "estimate", "assume", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "strategy", "goal", "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking information is based upon certain assumptions by the Company or its consultants and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such information. Such information is based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of lithium, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: (i) required capital investment and estimated workforce requirements; (ii) estimates of net present value and internal rates of return; (iii) future demand and market prices for lithium; (iv) receipt of regulatory approvals on acceptable terms within commonly experienced time frames; (v) anticipated timelines for the commencement of production; (vi) anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process; and (vii) future exploration plans and objectives.

By its nature, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to: (i) the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and conclusions of economic evaluations; (ii) results of feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, (iii) the outcome of litigation in which the Company is or may in the future become involved; (iv) risks relating to possible variations in reserves, grade, planned mining dilution and ore loss, or recovery rates and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; (v) mining and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labor disputes (including work stoppages and strikes) or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; (vi) risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; (vii) risks related to future commodity demand and price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; (viii) the uncertainty of profitability based upon the cyclical nature of the industry in which the Company operates; (ix) risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms or delays in obtaining governmental approvals or in the completion of development or construction activities; * risks related to environmental regulation and liability; (xi) political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; (xii) risks related to the uncertain global economic environment; and (xiii) other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business strategy. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking information, investors and others are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this press release. All forward-looking information contained in this press release or incorporated by reference herein is expressly qualified by this cautionary note. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Company's actual results to differ from current expectations, please refer to the Company's public filings available at www.sedar.com and www.canadalithium.com including, in particular, the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis and the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2012.

SOURCE: Canada Lithium Corp.