Mineral policy reform in Latin America; the impacts on lithium & copper

It could be argued, that copper and lithium are to Latin America what oil and gas have been to the Middle East: a source of wealth and opportunity for development. These two metals are fundamental to the energy transition and are plentifully in Latin America. But can these resources translate into mineral revenues against the backdrop of the regions changing political landscapes? Most Latin American countries, including the big copper and lithium suppliers such as Chile, Peru, Mexico and Argentina, are increasingly governed by left-leaning political democracies that seek to update their countries' mineral policies. In this Insight, we analyse the mineral policies of several countries in the region, and the impact these could have on developing new copper and lithium projects.