Lithium and Chile: looking back and looking forward

Philip Maxwell () and Mauricio Mora ()
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Philip Maxwell: Curtin University
Mauricio Mora: Nexis Consulting SPA

Mineral Economics, 2020, vol. 33, issue 1, No 9, 57-71

Abstract: Abstract This paper focuses on the economic fortunes of the Chilean lithium industry over the past three decades and considers its likely future directions. When SQM commissioned its brine extraction facilities in the Salar de Atacama in 1995, joining the already established SCL (operating since 1984), Chile emerged as the world’s leading lithium producer. It retained this position until 2013 when Australian production surpassed it. Chile, Australia and Argentina now dominate the early stages of the lithium industry. Four multinational companies—Albemarle, SQM, FMC Corporation and Tianqi Lithium—accounted for more than 83% of world lithium output in 2016. These firms appear to exert considerable market power. Against this background, we outline and assess recent developments in the Chilean lithium sector, noting that the second Bachelet government (in office from 2014 to early 2018) convened a year-long National Lithium Commission in 2014. The members of this group suggested strategies to maintain and enhance Chile’s competitive advantage in the lithium sector. The final section considers the implementation of these in the light of the election of the second Piñera administration which took office in March 2018.

Keywords: Chile; Lithium; Collusive behaviour; Vertical integration; Horizontal integration; Value adding; Market power; Mineral policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D43 L0 L1 L11 L72 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s13563-019-00181-8

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