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Codelco-SQM Joint Venture Sets Sights on Lithium Mining Top Spot

Brine pools at an SQM lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama Desert, Chile. — Brine pools at an SQM lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg

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By James Attwood

December 29, 2025 at 6:51 PM UTC

Lea en español

A joint venture between Chilean metal giant Codelco and lithium supplier SQM aims to become the world’s largest producer of the battery metal, banking on low-cost, low-impact output to tap growing demand.