Mining exports will increase this year around 25% and will be around $4,000 million, thanks to the increase in international prices and volumes of the different metalsaccording to official and sector estimates.
Last year, shipments abroad from mining reached US$ 3,221 million. In this ascending line, in the first month of this year, external sales totaled US$ 226.91 million, which meant a rise of 20.1% in the interannual comparison.
The January record was made up of US$ 218.7 million from metalliferous and lithium and US$ 8.2 million from rocks and minerals.
The province of Santa Cruz continued to lead shipments when selling for US$ 23.59 million, and explaining 54.5% of the total exported by the national mining sector.
For its part, San Juan reached sales of US$ 29.05 million and explained 12.8% of the national total sent abroad, while Jujuy was in third place with 12.4% (US$ 28.1 million).
While, Salta recorded US$ 26.1 million (11.5%) and Catamarca sold for US$ 13.63 million (6% of the country total).
The January record was US$ 218.7 million from metalliferous and lithium and US$ 8.2 million from rocks and minerals
Mining activity is strongly promoted by the national government and, in particular, for the Ministry of Productive Development headed by Matías Kulfasarea on which the Secretary of Mining in charge of Fernanda Ávila depends.
The productive portfolio is committed to the development of the activity to achieve a jump in exports that allows it to overcome the external restriction (shortage of dollars) that the country has been going through for decades and prevents it from achieving lasting economic growth over time.
In terms of opportunities, they characterize the sector as a key activity for the “energy transition” towards which the world is moving, with the aim of depending less on the use of coal and hydrocarbons to generate energy.
Likewise, they highlight the high salaries offered by the sector and the impact it has on the development of local suppliers.
A report from Production Studies Center (CEP XXI) which depends on the Productive Ministry, pointed out that “in 2019, the salaries of direct mining employees were on average 97% higher than the national average.”
Days ago, Kulfas assured that the sector is experiencing “a historic moment” with a “boom” of investments.
Siacam data
In the last two years, 19 companies announced investments for more than US$ 10,000 millionaccording to official data from the Information System Open to the Community on Mining Activity in Argentina (Siacam).
The most important investment in magnitude was the one announced by the Canadian firm Lundin last November, reaching US$4.2 billion for the Josemaría copper-related project in San Juan.
Investments in lithium have also gained importance, highlighting the Sal de Oro project in Salta announced in December by the South Korean company Posco for an amount of US$ 831 million or the Mina Fénix project in Catamarca for which the US company Livent will allocate US$ 640 million.
This Tuesday was the National Lithium Table in Salta where the governors of Salta, Catamarca and Jujuy, businessmen and national authorities participated, and which culminated in the signing of the Joint Act of the Lithium Mining Region.
Kulfas highlighted that the lithium sector projects investments for more than US$ 4,200 million
On the occasion, Kulfas highlighted that the lithium sector projects investments of more than US$ 4,200 million and that with the development of this activity, Argentina could be among the top three places in world production.
Following Siacam, in Argentina there are currently 119 mining projects in the portfolio that basically include the exploitation of gold, lithium, copper and silver, and are distributed among the provinces of Catamarca, Chubut, Jujuy, Mendoza, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan and Santa Cruz.
This Thursday, Kulfas participated together with the Governor of Salta, Gustavo Sáenz, in the start-up of the production of the Mina Lindero project -the province’s first gold operation- of the company Mansfield Minera, a subsidiary of the Canadian Fortuna Silver Mines.
Likewise, a few days ago, the First meeting of the National Table on Mining Open to the Community (Memac)where national government officials, businessmen and trade unionists highlighted the role of mining, and supported the initiative to engage in a debate on the health and environmental impact of the activity with accurate and up-to-date information.
