Since 2019, the global lithium ore prospecting efforts have remained unabated, and new progress has been made in hot spots with fruitful results. This paper provides an overview of the prospecting and exploration progress and trends of some key foreign lithium ore projects from 2019 to 2021. In general, the global distribution pattern of lithium resources is relatively stable, with salt lake- type lithium resources and pegmatite- type lithium resources still occupying a dominant position, and significant progress has been made in corresponding hot spots. In addition, the exploration of new types of lithium deposits such as sedimentary- type and hot springs type has also made a series of new progress in the United States and Europe. Compared with foreign countries, China’s prospecting progress and the actual increase in resource reserves are still limited. By learning from the new progress of foreign lithium exploration projects, it is suggested China should: ① strengthen safety awareness and increase investment in the investigation, evaluation and exploration of lithium and other strategic mineral resources; ② strengthen investigation and research on traditional types such as rock type, salt lake type, and new types of lithium deposits such as rock type, sedimentary type and hot spring type, and constantly expand new areas and new space for prospecting; ③ accelerate the process of domestic lithium ore industrialization, improve the lithium industry chain, and focus on the research and development of downstream high- end products while strengthening domestic lithium resource prospecting and exploration in the upstream.