A lithium compound with which a positive active material containing a decreased amount of magnetically attractable substances can be easily obtained while shortening the total time for production of a positive electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The lithium compound is used for producing a positive active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, with which a lithium transition metal composite oxide can be obtained by mixing the lithium compound with a transition metal composite hydroxide or the like obtained by crystallization reaction. A positive active material in which the amount of magnetically attractable substances contained is 0.02 mass ppm or less can be easily obtained while shortening the total time for production of the positive active material.