Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed, in Santiago, a joint declaration to coordinate the exploration of strategic minerals. According to the document, formalized on August 28th, the countries put themselves in the position of supplying copper, lithium and other rare earth minerals. The document was the result of the first ministerial meeting of the Southern Cone countries on the topic.
The declaration provides for the integration of supply chains, covering minerals of utmost importance for the manufacture of batteries, electric vehicles and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure. The text was signed by Chile’s Minister of Economy and Mining, Daniel Mas; the Argentine Mining Secretary, Luis Lucero; the Vice Minister of Mining Policy, Regulation and Inspection of Bolivia, Walter Landívar; and Peru’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Guillermo Shinno.
“The joint declaration we signed today is the first firm step towards a permanent alliance. We position the Southern Cone as the most reliable, sustainable and competitive supplier of strategic minerals,” said Mas.
The Chilean host projected that the energy transition and the expansion of infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence could increase global demand for critical minerals by between 400% and 600% in the next decade. The leap, according to Mas, would force the region to reinforce the stability of global suppliers.
The agreement also creates work tables for exchanging geological information, coordinating inspection criteria and sector policies and training specialized labor. Governments committed to seeking technical and financial support for joint research, development and innovation initiatives.
The pact brings together four governments directly aligned with the Donald Trump administration. Within the framework of ideological affinity, the United States has been forging bilateral agreements with some of the main Latin American countries to guarantee the supply of critical minerals and reduce dependence on China, which controls most of the global processing of these resources. An example of an agreement is the one signed last February between the USA and Argentina, in which Buenos Aires committed to prioritizing the North American country in the supply of lithium, copper and other minerals.
Despite the speech at the end of last month, the countries have not yet created a common production structure or a single trade policy. It is also a declaration of intention for coordinated positioning.
“Strategic minerals must become dynamic instruments to generate more added value, guaranteeing the development of reliable supply chains that translate into closing social and economic gaps”, assessed the Peruvian minister, Guillermo Shinno.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
