{"id":1846,"date":"2025-05-14T14:23:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/mitos-y-realidades-del-acuerdo-codelco-sqm\/07-se-vendio-barato-el-litio-a-sqm\/"},"modified":"2025-06-03T20:22:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T20:22:44","slug":"07-se-vendio-barato-el-litio-a-sqm","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/mitos-y-realidades-del-acuerdo-codelco-sqm\/07-se-vendio-barato-el-litio-a-sqm\/","title":{"rendered":"Was lithium sold cheaply to SQM?"},"content":{"rendered":"

07<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Was lithium sold cheaply to SQM?<\/h1><\/div>
<\/div>

False.<\/strong> Chile is not selling off its massive lithium production potential at a low price, because through this alliance, the State \u2014 via Codelco \u2014 takes charge and leads lithium production, receiving greater economic benefits than it does today.<\/p>\n

Between 2025 and 2030, the State of Chile \u2014 through Codelco, Corfo, and the Treasury \u2014 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 and SQM meets these criteria.<\/p>\n

This alliance is a good deal for Chile and for the Antofagasta region.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
\"\"<\/div>

The Codelco\u2013SQM agreement is a good deal for Chile<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

True<\/h4>

The Codelco\u2013SQM agreement allows the State to seize now \u2014 and not in 5, 7, or 10 years \u2014 the opportunity we have to become a global leader in lithium production.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

There was no public tender to benefit SQM<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

Codelco was not required to carry out a public tender, and the direct deal turned out to be a better business for Chile.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

Codelco will control lithium production<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

True<\/h4>

Codelco will be the majority shareholder in the new company and will take full control in 2031.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

SQM has complete freedom to exploit all the lithium it wants<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

The additional production was approved by technical bodies and is tied to the launch of the new company.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

SQM is the best partner for Codelco<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

True<\/h4>

SQM has been exploring the Salar de Atacama for nearly 30 years (since 1996) and has the know-how and global recognition as a leader in lithium production.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

The State gains little from the agreement<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

Between 2025 and 2030 it will receive 70% of the margin; then, 85%.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

Was lithium sold cheaply to SQM?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

Chile is not selling off its massive lithium production potential at a low price.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

This agreement was made behind closed doors<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

The agreement followed a public and traceable process.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

The Codelco\u2013SQM agreement guarantees sustainable production in the Atacama Salt Flat<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

True<\/h4>

The Salar Futuro project will produce more lithium with less net brine use and no continental water.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

Communities have not been heard<\/h4><\/div><\/div>

False<\/h4>

The Codelco\u2013SQM partnership has made it mandatory to carry out a permanent dialogue process with Atacame\u00f1o communities in the Atacama Salt Flat basin.<\/p>\n<\/div>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"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 \u2014 via Codelco \u2014 takes charge and leads lithium production, receiving greater economic benefits than it does today. Between 2025 and 2030, the State of Chile \u2014 through...","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1829,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1846","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1846"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2024,"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1846\/revisions\/2024"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acuerdocodelcosqm.cl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}