Mining News - February 2023

Legislative News

 

Decree No. 57/2023, published in the National Official Gazette on February 6, 2023.

This decree cancels the export reimbursement of goods described as lithium, lithium oxide and hydroxide, lithium chloride, and lithium carbonate, included in the tariff positions of the Common Nomenclature of Mercosur (NCM).

Resolution No. 2/2023 issued by the Secretariat of Mining, published in the Official Gazette of Río Negro on February 16, 2023.

This resolution establishes new amounts for the exploitation rights of third category substances in the fiscal lands of the province, retroactively effective as of February 2, 2023. It also establishes that the amounts will be calculated applying the minimum production per hectare, the fixed value assigned for each mineral, and the total surface of the quarry expressed in hectares. Also, the concessionaire will pay the exploitation rights in two installments, the first one due on July 31 and the second one on March 31 of the following year. The latter will begin to accrue from the date of granting the concession or the precarious exploitation permit.

Resolution No. 1/2023 issued by the Secretariat of Mining, published in the Official Gazette of Río Negro on February 16, 2023.

This resolution establishes new amounts for mineral transit guides to be transported or traded within the province.

It also determines the validity term of the mineral transit guides that will operate on February 28 and July 31 every year.

Provision No. 173 issued by the General Directorate of Mining, published in the Official Gazette of La Rioja on February 17, 2023.

This provision updates the amount of the mining rights registration in the Mining Cadastre of the province:

1. For first-time applications, ARS 15,000.
2. For requests after the first, the interested party may request an update of its contents for ARS 8,000.
3. The interested party must pay the amount corresponding to the “Fondo Especial de Fomento Minero Provincial”.
4. The Mining Cadastral Registry will be updated the first working day every other month.

General Resolution No. 1641/2023 issued by the provincial Tax Authority, published in the Official Gazette of Jujuy on February 22, 2023.

This resolution establishes a regime for filing affidavits of mineral exploitation rights via electronic data transfer through the web page of the provincial tax authority.

Decree No. 7751/2023, published in the Official Gazette of Jujuy on February 27, 2023.

This Decree approves the regulation of the “General Environmental Law” No. 5063. It also revokes Decree No. 5772/2010, which regulated it.

 

Mining in the Media

 

“Argentina, the Second Largest Lithium Reserve in the World”, article published in Página 12 on February 23, 2023.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), published a ranking of the 10 countries with the largest lithium reserves in the world, placing Argentina in second place. The largest lithium reserves in the world are found in Bolivia, with 21 million tons, followed by Argentina, with 20 million tons, and Chile, with 11 million tons. This is the result of data showing that more than half of this natural resource (of which there are around 98 million total tons globally) is in Latin America.

“Lithium: Chinese Company Will Invest USD 120 Million in Jujuy”, article published in Ámbito on February 27, 2023.

The Chinese company Tsingshan Holding is looking to settle in the province of Jujuy to manufacture goods for producing lithium carbonate.

In connection with this, the car manufacturer Chery, also of Chinese origin, announced that it will produce 100,000 electric vehicles per year in Argentina, units that will be equipped with batteries manufactured in Jujuy.

“McEwen Copper continues to grow in mining in Argentina”, article published in Mining Press on February 27, 2023.

McEwen Mining’s subsidiary, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and mobility providers, will  invest USD 155 million in Argentina. Such investment will be used to advance the development of the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, and for general corporate purposes.

“BHP bets on San Juan copper”, article published in Mining Press on March 1, 2023.

Representatives from the Chilean firm BHP Americas conversed with Governor Sergio Uñac about their continuity in the exploration of the metalliferous possibilities at the province, understanding that the road to transition meets the copper potential of the province and makes the investment attractive.