Argentina mulls charging lithium miners contribution to boost infrastructure

Allkem

29/09/2023 21:57

BUENOS AIRES, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Argentina's mining
secretariat said on Friday the governors of the country's
lithium-producing provinces are drawing up plans for lithium
miners to make a "special contribution" so state coffers can
benefit from extraordinary profits.
    The funds would be used primarily for productive
infrastructure, the secretariat said after the governors of the
provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca attended a round table
meeting on the white metal, coveted by manufacturers of
electronics and batteries for electric vehicles.
    A resolution for the "special lithium contribution" is set
to be finalized by Oct. 30.
    Argentina is world's fourth-largest lithium producer and
sits on the so-called "lithium triangle" spanning its South
American neighbors Chile and Bolivia, believed to hold more than
half the world's lithium reserves.
    The South American nation has three lithium production
sites: Fenix, owned by U.S. firm Livent  LTHM.N , Olaroz,
majority-owned by Australia's Allkem Ltd  AKE.AX  and
Cauchari-Olaroz, co-owned by China's Ganfeng  002460.SZ  and
Canada's Lithium Americas  LAC.TO .

 (Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Writing by Sarah Morland; editing
by Alistair Bell)
 ((sarah.morland@thomsonreuters.com;))