The province exported US$501 million in mining products between January and June, compared with US$205.1 million during the same period in 2025. Mining now accounts for 64.1% of Salta’s total exports.
By Panorama Minero
According to a report by Argentina’s National Mining Secretariat, Salta’s mining exports reached US$501 million between January and June, representing year-on-year growth of approximately 145%.
This performance also increased mining’s relative importance within Salta’s foreign trade. In the first half of 2025, mining accounted for 60% of the province’s total exports; one year later, its share had risen to 64.1%.
Salta’s performance comes amid strong growth in mining exports from Northwestern Argentina (NOA). Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta accumulated US$683 million in exports during the first six months of 2026, representing a 121.7% year-on-year increase compared with the same period in 2025.
In June, the three provinces exported US$302 million in minerals, up 165.5% year-on-year.
Growth across the NOA was driven by two combined factors: higher international prices and increased lithium export volumes. The mineral’s importance was reflected in the composition of the region’s export basket: in June, lithium accounted for 70.1% of the NOA’s mining exports, while its share for the January-June period reached 65.1%. Metalliferous minerals accounted for another 32.1%.
China, the NOA’s Largest Market
The Asian giant accounted for 68.6% of mining exports from Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta during the first half of the year, well ahead of the United States, at 13%; South Korea, at 5.4%; and Switzerland, at 3.2%.
For Salta, the figures point to a dual trend: mining is gaining a larger share of the province’s exports while simultaneously benefiting from the NOA’s expansionary cycle, with lithium as one of its main growth drivers.
