Catamarca recorded in January 2026 the highest share of mining in total provincial exports nationwide, with mining representing 95.6% of its total exports.
By Panorama Minero
According to the monthly report from Argentina’s Secretariat of Mining on the provincial origin of mining exports, the province exported US$50 million in minerals during the first month of the year. Catamarca forms part of the group of five provinces that concentrated nearly all mining exports from Argentina.
At the national level, the mining sector exported US$812 million in January, representing a year-on-year increase of 82.1%.
Five provinces accounted for virtually all these shipments. Santa Cruz led with US$400 million (49.2%), followed by San Juan with US$232 million (28.5%), Jujuy with US$80 million (9.8%), Catamarca with US$50 million (6.1%), and Salta with US$43 million (5.3%).
In total, mining represented 87.3% of all exports from these five provinces, highlighting the sector’s strategic importance for regional economies.
Catamarca and Northwestern Argentina
Although Catamarca ranks fourth in export volume with US$50 million, the indicator that distinguishes the province is the high dependence of its export structure on mining.
With 95.6% of total exports linked to mining, Catamarca surpassed San Juan (94.9%), Santa Cruz (89.9%), Jujuy (81.6%) and Salta (52.4%). In practical terms, this means that almost all of the province’s exports originate from the mining sector.
The report also analyzes the performance of Northwestern Argentina (NOA) — Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta — which in January recorded mining exports of US$172 million, representing year-on-year growth of 52.9%.
This increase was driven both by higher export volumes and by improvements in international lithium prices.
Across these three provinces, mining accounted for 74.4% of total exports during January.
Export composition shows that lithium and metallic mining represented 97% of the total. Lithium accounted for 56% of exports, while gold and silver represented 38.7% (19.3% and 19.4% respectively).
In terms of destinations, China accounted for 61.8% of mining exports from the NOA, followed by the United States (18.1%), Japan (5.7%) and Switzerland (5.3%). China’s dominant share is mainly explained by lithium exports, as the country remains one of the largest global consumers of the mineral.
Exporting projects
The report also identifies the main export-oriented projects linked to Catamarca.
Among them are Fénix, located in Antofagasta de la Sierra and operated by Rio Tinto in the Salar del Hombre Muerto; Tres Quebradas (3Q), developed by Zijin-Liex in Fiambalá, which began production in September 2024; and Farallón Negro, the gold and copper project located in Belén and operated by YMAD.
Elsewhere in the country, Santa Cruz hosts some of Argentina’s largest gold operations, including Cerro Negro (Newmont), Cerro Vanguardia (AngloGold Ashanti) and San José (Hochschild Mining).
In San Juan, the main projects include Veladero (Barrick), Argentina’s largest gold exporter, and Gualcamayo.
Meanwhile, Jujuy hosts Salar de Olaroz, currently operated by Arcadium Lithium (Rio Tinto), while Salta contributes production through Lindero, operated by Fortuna Mining.
The report from Argentina’s Secretariat of Mining confirms the structural importance of mining within Catamarca’s export economy and highlights the growing relevance of lithium development in Northwestern Argentina.
