SQM, the world’s second-largest lithium supplier, is resuming operations in northern Chile following the clearance of roadblocks by local communities, as confirmed by a company representative on Monday.
The removal of the final blockades, in place for nearly a week, allows the gradual return to normal operations. Community concerns arose over plans to increase lithium production at the Atacama salt flat under a new public-private development model.
Despite an agreement reached late Friday with the indigenous peoples council (CPA), some groups continued protesting over the weekend.
The SQM-Codelco partnership is pivotal to Chile’s strategy amid increasing global demand for lithium, though recent developments impacted SQM’s shares negatively in New York.
