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Chile's Codelco: SQM lithium talks on track, but much still to fix

The chairman of Chile's. staterun copper giant Codelco stated on Monday that he. anticipates to reach a lithium handle mining business SQM. on schedule, while keeping in mind many concerns remain to be. resolved.

We still have great deals of pending problems and we need to work. extremely hard, said Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco at a financial. development occasion in the Chilean capital.

The executive added that the arrangement with SQM would. offer 70% of the collaboration's benefits to the federal government in between. 2025 and 2030, then increasing to 85% from 2031.

Santiago-based SQM, the world's 2nd greatest lithium. producer, has remained in talks with Codelco since last year over a. prospective partnership to mine the key battery metal. The tie-up. was mandated by Chile's federal government to increase the state role in. the lithium industry.

When he revealed the plan, Chile's President Gabriel. Boric stated he looked for to enshrine greater state control over the. ultra-light metal required for future fleets of electric cars. ( EVs) by providing the federal government a majority stake in lithium. tasks.

While lithium costs increased significantly in the last few years,. they plummeted last year mostly due to slowing EV sales in. China.

Over half the world's tested lithium reserves are held. South American salt flats in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.