The world is more connected than ever, and mining technology and service companies are no exception. As they expand their reach globally, they need to follow their clients to new markets, from a copper mine high in the Andes to the icey cold winters of Northern Canada. When exploring new markets, it’s the classic “chicken or egg” dilemma: You want to see success before committing to the expenses of a local operation, but as soon as you start generating revenue, the risk of being classified as a PE increases.
The potential of the Peruvian mining industry is attracting many foreign companies to the market who are looking to provide equipment, technology, and services. It also means that companies need to adapt to new labor laws which are quite generous to workers in comparison to North America or Australia. One of the specific areas that companies need to consider when doing business in Peru is is how employee profit sharing works.
Chile has faced a decade-long drought that has impacted local communities and whole industries alike. The mining industry has increasingly relied on desalination to supply water for its operations. The project pipeline is growing with billions of dollars to be spent by miners who continue to expand and build new desalination plants. Now for the first time, concessions will be tendered that will provide desalinated water to municipalities and the agriculture sector.
Chile released its national green hydrogen strategy in 2020 which set out a road map for the country to become a major exporter. The country has the largest project pipeline in the Americas but there is still plenty of challenges that remain on the road ahead. Check out our overview of where things currently stand with the Chilean hydrogen industry.
Chile has been very successful over the years with its public-private concessions system but many tenders were delayed with a change in government in 2022. The Chilean government just released its 2024 schedule which consists of 13 concessions involving investments of US$3.4bn that includes highways, airports, and light rail.
Mining suppliers may use a local subcontractor for a variety of reasons when working on Chilean projects. The issue is that foreign companies can find themselves in trouble if they do not understand how the subcontracting laws work from both a legal and practical perspective.
Brazil is an important mining market to suppliers. Over the last year, the project pipeline has grown considerably, a tax reform is being discussed by the government, and there has been interest from exploration companies in the countries hard rock lithium deposits. Check out our latest post outlining the most recent news.
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