Panorama Minero: Latest News

The Secretariat of Mining is moving forward with a comprehensive reform of the mining investment regime: digitalization, ex post controls, imports without certificates, regional integration within 500 kilometres and new rules for suppliers. María Eugenia Bais explained how the new system will work.

At the 15th Edition of the Lithium in South America Seminar, mining suppliers sought to establish partnerships to strengthen their participation in the sector’s development.

Exploration leaders from the province’s main mining projects met at the San Juan Mining Chamber and explained how heavy snowfall forced them to reschedule their operations and prioritise road safety in the high mountains.

The Governor of Salta called on the national government to ensure that the restoration of railway connections with Chile and Bolivia is not left to the discretion of the future concessionaire. He warned of the additional logistics costs faced by production in northern Argentina and their impact on mining competitiveness.

Production Minister Gustavo Fernández outlined the provincial strategy based on horizontal value addition, business partnerships and the transformation of local SMEs into providers of goods and services capable of operating in any market worldwide.

The update to Law 24,196 simplifies VAT refund procedures, imports, and the registration of exploration projects.

Yacimientos Mineros de Agua de Dionisio (YMAD) has launched a public tender to acquire four equipment units for underground mining operations at Farallón Negro, in Argentina’s Catamarca province. The contract also includes a fleet management system, after-sales services and implementation. Bids may be submitted until October 19.

The two units will initially operate manually and progressively transition toward autonomous operations through automation technology.

At the closing ceremony, leaders from Jujuy, Catamarca, Mendoza and Salta agreed that the new mining cycle requires stability, infrastructure, suppliers and training to translate investment into employment and regional development. Luis Lucero called for maintaining the institutional and economic conditions that have driven the sector.

Guillermo Simonutti, COO of Eramet Eramine, highlighted the performance of direct lithium extraction at Centenario-Ratones and explained why the technology will be key to the next expansion. The French mining company is preparing a US$350 million plant expansion.

The initiative, developed jointly with the Government of San Juan and Fundación Fundar, assessed the emotional well-being of adolescents aged 13 to 17.

Yang Jianyu, Vice President of CNGR South America, analysed the global market, production costs, the growth of LFP batteries and Argentina’s strategic advantages towards 2030 during a presentation in Jujuy.

Rio Tinto, Eramet, Exar, CNGR and Albemarle outlined their next steps in Jujuy, ranging from new investments and expansions to direct lithium extraction, exploration and supplier development.

In Jujuy, national and provincial authorities and business leaders agreed that the new scale of the lithium industry requires infrastructure, suppliers, talent and stable rules to transform investment into regional development.

During the second panel of Lithium in South America, European representatives, multilateral organizations and specialists analysed how to attract capital, reduce risks and turn mineral resources into projects.

The presidents of the mining chambers of Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca agreed that the new stage requires more infrastructure, training, competitiveness and regional coordination. They also defended the impact of the RIGI.

Mining lawyer and Lithium Argentina Corp. Executive Vice President of Legal, Government and External Affairs Ignacio Celorrio discusses the new landscape for lithium following the volatility of recent years and the factors now shaping investment decisions.

Adopting integrity practices can help reduce risks, strengthen internal processes and protect corporate reputation. For mining SMEs and suppliers, compliance can also provide a competitive advantage when seeking new clients, contracts and investment.

It is the first mining project to become operational with investment through the RIGI. The plant has a capacity of 23,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year. Diego Santilli, Karina Milei, Raúl Jalil and Gustavo Sáenz attended the ceremony.

The course has been incorporated into Impulsando el Conocimiento, the program that accounted for 27% of the provincial company’s operating expenses in 2025.

A diploma program has been launched to prepare professionals in mining chemistry and direct lithium extraction.

The governors of Catamarca and Salta highlighted that the arrival of the Korean-owned company made it possible to open channels for dialogue.

Governor Raúl Jalil and Mayor Gustavo Saadi signed an agreement to allocate municipal properties to the construction of an administrative complex and a logistics and operational site.

The company projects production of around 75,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in 2026 and expects to double that volume over the following two to three years as Rincón comes online.