Chile plans to nationalize its huge lithium industry

SANTIAGO, April 20 (Reuters) – Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Thursday he would nationalize the country’s lithium industry, the world’s second-largest producer of the metal essential in electric vehicle batteries, to boost the economy and protect the environment.
The shock move in the country with the world’s largest lithium reserves will eventually transfer control of Chile’s huge lithium operations from industrial giants SQM ( SQMA.SN ) and Albemarle ( ALB.N ) to a separate state-owned company.
That poses a new challenge for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers trying to secure battery materials, as more countries seek to protect their natural resources. Mexico nationalized its lithium deposits last year, and Indonesia banned exports of nickel ore, a key battery material, in 2020.
“This is the best chance we have to transition to a sustainable and developed economy. We cannot afford to waste it,” Boric said in an address broadcast nationwide.
Future lithium contracts will only be issued as public-private partnerships with government control, he said.
The government would not terminate current contracts but hoped companies would be open to government participation before they expire, he said, without naming Albemarle and SQM, the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 lithium producers.
SQM’s contract is set to expire in 2030 and Albemarle’s in 2043.
SQM, formally called Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile, and Albemarle supply Tesla Inc ( TSLA.O ), LG Energy Solution Ltd ( 373220.KS ) and other electric car and battery makers.
Albemarle said the announcement would have “no material impact on our business” and that it would continue talks to invest in further growth and use new technology in Chile.
SQM was not immediately available for comment.
South Korean battery maker SK On, which has a long-term supply contract with SQM, said it would monitor developments and respond with a long-term view.
The announcement from Chile did not trigger a reversal in lithium prices, which have plunged more than 70% from a peak in November due to weakened demand for electric vehicles in China, the world’s largest auto market.
The most traded lithium carbonate futures on the Wuxi Stainless Steel Exchange in China were down 3.4% as of 0618 GMT on Friday.

[1/2] A view of a brine pool of a lithium mine on the Atacama Salt Flats in the Atacama Desert, Chile, August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo
“When or if battery makers renew their contracts with lithium firms in Chile, contract conditions are likely to be more difficult than what they saw in the past when there was no government involvement,” said Cho Hyunryul, an analyst at Samsung Securities.
The move is likely to spur a shift in future investment in lithium to other countries, including Australia, the world’s largest producer, analysts said.
“Policy stability is very important for any mining project … Mining-friendly jurisdictions like Australia will be places where incremental funds are invested,” said Harsh Bardia, analyst at National Australia Bank’s private wealth arm JBWere.
CODELCO ROLE
Boric said state-owned Codelco, the world’s biggest copper producer, would be tasked with finding the best way forward for a state-owned lithium company and that he would seek congressional approval of the plan in the second half of the year.
Congress has been a check on many of Boric’s more ambitious proposals, scrapping a proposed tax reform bill in early March.
Codelco and state miner Enami will get exploration and production contracts in areas where there are now private projects before the national lithium company is formed.
A department will be dedicated to advancing technology to minimize environmental impacts, including favoring direct lithium extraction over evaporation ponds.
Private Summit Nanotech Corp, which develops technology for direct lithium extraction, welcomed the announcement.
Boric said the country would look to protect biodiversity and share mining benefits with indigenous and surrounding communities.
“Today we are presenting a national lithium strategy that is technically sound and ambitious,” the president said, adding that it would build “a Chile that distributes the wealth we all generate in a more equitable way”.
Reporting by Alexander Villegas and Ernest Schneider; Editing by Jacqueline Wong
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.