Argentina mining exports projected to top $41bn by 2035

Argentina’s mining exports could rise more than sixfold over the next decade as lithium and copper projects draw stronger international interest, including from the United States.

Fernando Ciacera, director of mining promotion and economics at Argentina’s Mining Secretariat, said at a recent event hosted by the Argentina-Texas Chamber of Commerce that the country could lift mining exports from US$6 billion in 2025 to US$9.8 billion in 2026, US$18.5 billion in 2030 and US$41.7 billion by 2035.

The presentation, which also included participation from the Atlantic Council, comes as Washington seeks to secure more diversified critical mineral supply chains and reduce exposure to China. Argentina and the United States signed a critical minerals agreement earlier this year aimed at building more reliable, market-based supply chains for strategic minerals. Cancillería Argentina

Argentina is already one of the world’s leading lithium players. Ciacera said the country ranks fifth globally in lithium reserves, with 23 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, or LCE. But he said Argentina ranks first in lithium resources, with more than 165 million tonnes of LCE, meaning new investment could eventually move the country higher in the global reserve ranking.

Argentina currently has seven lithium projects in operation and four under construction. Another 44 projects are at different development stages, ranging from early exploration to advanced exploration, preliminary economic assessment and feasibility studies.

Lithium exports are already accelerating. In the first half of 2026, volumes measured in LCE rose 68.2% year over year. Combined with a rebound in global prices, that lifted export value to about US$1.096 billion in six months, up 185% from the same period in 2025.

The broader mining pipeline is also expanding. Argentina has 327 identified mining projects and 28 mines in operation, led by gold, silver, lithium and copper, with additional potential in lead, uranium and molybdenum.

Copper pipeline could reshape exports

Copper is expected to become a major pillar of Argentina mining exports over the next decade.

Ciacera presented a schedule of seven copper projects due to start operations from 2027 onward. Alumbrera is expected to restart in 2027, followed by San Jorge in Mendoza and Los Azules in San Juan in 2028. Taca Taca in Salta and Vicuña in San Juan are projected for 2030, followed by Mara in Catamarca in 2031, Altar in San Juan in 2032 and Pachón, also in San Juan, in 2034.

Based on current estimates of 20 million tonnes of copper reserves and 118 million tonnes of resources, Argentina’s Mining Secretariat projects the country could produce 1.6 million tonnes of copper per year by 2035. That would position Argentina as the world’s sixth-largest copper producer and could generate more than US$19 billion a year in copper exports.

The copper buildout alone would require around US$42 billion in investment, according to the presentation.

U.S. interest grows around critical minerals

The event also highlighted growing U.S. interest in Argentina’s mining sector.

Gabriela Aguilar, managing director of the Argentina-Texas Chamber of Commerce, said Argentina is at the center of the global energy transition and is strategically positioned in its relationship with the United States because of its political alignment and location.

Andrea Clabough, an Atlantic Council Global Energy Center expert on mining, said electricity demand is expected to rise sharply in the coming years and described Argentina as a key supplier. She said diversification of energy sources and mineral supply is becoming the central issue for global markets.

Speakers also pointed to new financing tools, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and Project Vault, a U.S. initiative tied to critical minerals supply chains. The discussion reflected Washington’s broader concern over Chinese influence in Latin American mineral supply chains.

For Argentina, the strategic question is whether mining development can become more than an extractive relationship. José de Castro Alem, CEO of market-development firm Alchemia, proposed creating an “innovation corridor” between Texas and Argentina’s northwest, saying the goal should be to build an industrial relationship beyond mining itself.

Infrastructure remains a bottleneck

The growth forecast carries direct implications for logistics, ports and inland transport.

Ciacera said infrastructure shortages and limited availability of specialized labor remain among the sector’s main constraints. He pointed to road-construction concessions, the planned tender for the Belgrano Cargas freight railway and a possible RIGI framework for infrastructure as key tools to support mining growth.

The RIGI large-investment incentive regime is central to Argentina’s mining strategy. The program reduces the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 25%, lowers withholding taxes on profit remittances after seven years, and grants 30 years of fiscal stability for approved projects.

For mining companies, exporters and logistics operators, the ability to move lithium, copper and other minerals from inland provinces to ports will be decisive. Many of Argentina’s highest-potential projects are located in the northwest and the Andes, far from export gateways and dependent on reliable road, rail, energy and port infrastructure.

As Argentina seeks to position itself as a critical minerals supplier, the sector’s success will depend not only on reserves and prices, but also on financing, regulatory stability, project execution and logistics capacity.

If the projected pipeline moves forward, Argentina mining exports could become one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency by 2035, alongside agribusiness and energy.

Source: Infobae

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