In a context of growing mining exports in Argentina, Salta is strengthening its participation within the federal structure of the sector, with performance linked to lithium’s dynamism and the weight of mining activity in the regional export structure.
By Panorama Minero
At the start of 2026, Salta reaffirms its position as one of the five key mining districts in Argentina. In February, the province accounted for 7.4% of national mining exports, forming part of the core group that, together with Santa Cruz, San Juan, Jujuy, and Catamarca, concentrates 98.5% of the sector’s shipments.
Within its own export structure, mining represented 54.7% of Salta’s external sales in February 2026 and 58.2% in the cumulative total for the first two months, maintaining a dominant share in its export basket, totaling US$113 million.
At the regional level, mining exports from the NOA provinces (Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca) reached US$213 million in February, with a year-on-year increase of 57.9%. In the cumulative total for the first two months of the year, they reached US$421 million, representing a 70.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025. In this context, mining accounted for 78.4% of total exports in the region in February and 76.1% in the two-month period.
Lithium as the Main Export Component
Lithium continues to be the main exported product in the region. In February, it accounted for 75.2% of NOA mining exports, while gold and silver represented 20.7% (12.7% and 8%, respectively). Together, lithium and metallic mining accounted for 98% of exports.
This production profile is linked both to international price trends and to increased export volumes, particularly in lithium projects in operation and expansion across the region. Between January and February, two lithium operations in the province (Ganfeng Lithium’s Mariana project and Rio Tinto’s Rincón project) carried out their first lithium carbonate exports to China.
The main destinations for NOA mining exports were China, India, and Switzerland, in line with global demand for lithium carbonate and precious metals.
Participation in the National Context
At the national level, mañining exports reached US$664 million in February 2026, with a year-on-year increase of 67.9%. In the cumulative total for the first two months of the year, exports totaled US$1.513 billion, representing a 79.9% increase compared to 2025.
Within this framework, the five leading provinces—Santa Cruz, San Juan, Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca—accounted for 98.7% of national mining exports, consolidating a highly concentrated territorial structure of the activity.
