07
Was lithium sold cheaply to SQM?
False. Chile is not selling off its massive lithium production potential at a low price, because through this alliance, the State — via Codelco — takes charge and leads lithium production, receiving greater economic benefits than it does today.
Between 2025 and 2030, the State of Chile — through Codelco, Corfo, and the Treasury — will receive approximately 70% of the operational margin generated by the new production. And starting January 1, 2031, the State will receive 85% of the margin, through payments to Corfo, taxes, and Codelco.
The agreement seeks to optimize lithium production, avoid a production valley during the transition period, preserve jobs, and contribute to sustainable development by investing in new technology that SQM is already testing and developing.
The Atacama Salt Flat is not just an extraction site; it is a complex and delicate ecosystem. Finding a partner with the necessary scale, technical expertise, workforce, financial capacity, and commercial networks is rare — and SQM meets these criteria.
This alliance is a good deal for Chile and for the Antofagasta region.
The Codelco–SQM agreement is a good deal for Chile
There was no public tender to benefit SQM
Codelco will control lithium production
SQM has complete freedom to exploit all the lithium it wants
SQM is the best partner for Codelco
The State gains little from the agreement
Was lithium sold cheaply to SQM?
This agreement was made behind closed doors
The Codelco–SQM agreement guarantees sustainable production in the Atacama Salt Flat
