1Introduction1Lithiumisoneofthekeyelementsintheenergytransition.Untilnowithasbeenanessentialinputintheproductionoflithium-ionbatteries—akeytechnologyforthedecarbonizationoftransportandthestorageofenergygeneratedfromrenewablesources.Lithiumisalsoconsideredastrategicresourcebycountriesthathaveabundantlithiumdeposits.InLatinAmerica,Argentina,ChileandthePlurinationalStateofBoliviastandoutfortheirdeposits,formingthe“lithiumtriangle”,whileBrazil,MexicoandPeru,withsmallerdeposits,alsohavethepotentialtoproducesignificantamounts.Thestrategicnatureoflithiumstemsfromitspotentialtocontributetothecountries’economicdevelopment.Thisresourcecanhaveapositiveimpactbasedonnewvaluecreation,intheformofincreasedoutput,exports,employmentandtaxrevenues.However,variousactorsintheaforementionedcountrieshaveconsideredthatitsgreatestpotentialliesinopportunitiestodevelopproductiveandtechnologicalcapacitiesassociatedwithlithium,thuscontributingtotheprocessofstructuralchangeinresource-richeconomies.Fromtheperspectiveofgovernments,thisrequirespoliciesandregulationsthatareconducivetothecreationofpublicgoods,thedevelopmentofsoftandhardcapacitiesandinfrastructures,andthemobilizationandsteeringofthenecessaryresources.1Thecut-offdatefortheinformationusedtopreparethisreportis20April2023,unlessotherwiseindicated.ContentsIntroduction.......................................................1I.Theglobalmarketforlithiumbatteriesisexpandingrapidly....................................2II.LatinAmericaisamajorglobalplayerinthelithiumsector,withahighdegreeofspecializationintheextractionoftheresourceandtheproductionoflithiumcompounds...............................13III.Governancemodels..................................25IV.Concludingremarks:guidelinesforaproductivedevelopmentagendaaroundlithium............................................38Bibliography....................................................39Annex1............................................................42Annex2.................................
