- There has been a considerable hype about lithium after the results of the first round of the national elections in Chile.
- This was aggravated by declarations of the candidate of the left regarding a possible nationalization of lithium in the country with the most reserves of the white metal on earth.
- These events were quite damaging to SQM and Albemarle, the two lithium operators in Chile, but could also have affected the energy lithium value chain as a whole.
- As for the possibility of a lithium nationalization in the near term in Chile, it is argued that this might be unlikely for at least two reasons.
- One, that SQM and Albemarle have contractual arrangements until 2030 and 2044, respectively, and two, that the Chilean Congress will be controlled to a certain extent by the opposition.
For further details see:
Chile: Impact Of National Election Results On Albemarle, SQM And Beyond