Company: SQM
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0000909037-25-000020
Chunk: 24

Company: CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 3
Chunk 24
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 port or other concessions could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We conduct our mining operations, including brine extraction, under exploitation and exploration concessions granted in accordance with provisions of the Chilean Constitution and related laws and statutes. Our exploitation concessions essentially grant a perpetual right (with the exception of the rights granted to SQM Salar with respect to the Salar de Atacama concessions under the SQM-Corfo Agreements described above, which expires in 2030) to conduct mining operations in the areas covered by the concessions, provided that we pay annual concession fees. Our exploration concessions permit us to explore for mineral resources on the land covered thereby for a specified period of time and to subsequently request a corresponding exploitation concession. Any changes to the Chilean Constitution with respect to the exploitation and exploration of natural resources and concessions granted as a result of the constitutional convention could materially adversely affect our existing exploitation and exploration concessions or our ability to obtain future concessions and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We also operate port facilities at Tocopilla, Chile, for the shipment of products and the delivery of raw materials pursuant to maritime concessions, which have been granted under applicable Chilean laws and are normally renewable on application, provided that such facilities are used as authorized and annual concession fees are paid.
Any significant adverse changes to any of these concessions, any changes to regulations to which we are subject or adverse changes to our other concession rights, or a revocation or suspension of any of our concessions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in water rights laws and other regulations could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We hold water use rights that are key to our operations. These rights were obtained from the Chilean Water Authority (Dirección General de Aguas) for supply of water from rivers and wells near our production facilities, which we believe are sufficient to meet current operating requirements.
In January 2022, the Chilean Congress approved a bill that amends the Chilean Water Code (Código de Agua), which was published on April, 6, 2022, becoming an applicable Chilean law. This modification introduces several changes to the Water Code. A significant amendment is the change in the time periods for which the water rights were granted. According to this new legislation, water rights: (1) will have a temporary nature being granted for a maximum of 30 years (the specific period will depend on the characteristic