The Americas | Another pot of white gold

Argentina could help the world by becoming a big lithium exporter

But can exports of the metal help sort out the country’s economic woes?

A drill operates in a salt flat to access lithium at Liex's 3Q lithium mine project near Fiambala, Catamarca province, Argentina, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. Liex, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Neo Lithium, operates the project in the Catamarca province, the largest and oldest lithium producing region in Argentina. Photographer: Anita Pouchard Serra/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nov 15th 2022|Buenos Aires

Picture a country in South America that is pro-business, is attractive to foreign capital and offers political stability for long-term investment. Most people would think of Chile. But when it comes to mining lithium, a light, salt-like metal used for batteries in electric vehicles and mobile phones, the country in question is its dysfunctional neighbour, Argentina. Better known for triple-digit inflation and railing against the IMF, Argentine officials have gone on a charm offensive from Washington to London with a boosterish message: the mining sector is open for business.

This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Another pot of white gold”