Company Overview

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) is a Chile-based chemicals and mining company specializing in the extraction, processing, and commercialization of specialty plant nutrients and strategic minerals. The company operates primarily in the lithium, iodine, potassium, and industrial chemicals industries, serving global markets tied to energy storage, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and industrial manufacturing. SQM is recognized as one of the world’s largest producers of lithium chemicals and iodine, with a cost-advantaged resource base.

SQM’s core revenue drivers include lithium compounds used in rechargeable batteries, iodine and iodine derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate for fertilizers, and specialty chemicals such as nitrates. Its strategic advantages stem from long-life mineral reserves in Chile’s Atacama Desert, integrated production processes, and established global distribution networks. Founded in 1968 as a state-owned enterprise and privatized in the 1980s, SQM evolved from a domestic nitrate producer into a diversified global specialty chemicals supplier, with lithium becoming its most significant growth engine over the past two decades.

Business Operations

SQM operates through several major business segments, including Lithium and Derivatives, Iodine and Derivatives, Potassium, and Industrial Chemicals. The company generates revenue through long-term supply agreements and spot sales to battery manufacturers, chemical companies, agricultural distributors, and industrial customers. Lithium operations, primarily producing lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, represent the largest share of revenue and profitability, driven by demand from electric vehicle and energy storage markets.

Operations are vertically integrated, encompassing resource extraction, chemical processing, and global marketing. SQM controls critical assets such as brine extraction rights in the Salar de Atacama and caliche ore mining operations in northern Chile. Internationally, the company maintains commercial offices, distribution hubs, and production facilities outside Chile, including lithium hydroxide conversion capacity in China. SQM also operates through subsidiaries such as SQM Salar S.A. and SQM Potassium Chile S.A., which manage specific resource and product lines.

Strategic Position & Investments

SQM’s strategic direction focuses on disciplined growth in lithium production, operational efficiency, and sustainability, particularly water management and environmental impact reduction in sensitive ecosystems. The company has pursued capacity expansion projects to increase lithium output while maintaining cost competitiveness, aligning investments with long-term demand forecasts from the electric mobility and renewable energy sectors.

The company has made targeted investments in downstream lithium processing and international joint initiatives to strengthen market access and technological capabilities. Notable strategic actions include long-term supply agreements with global battery manufacturers and investments in lithium hydroxide capacity outside Chile to serve Asian markets. SQM is also engaged in emerging technologies related to battery materials and specialty plant nutrition products, though commercialization timelines and returns vary by initiative.

Geographic Footprint

SQM’s headquarters are located in Santiago, Chile, with core extraction and processing operations concentrated in Northern Chile, particularly the Salar de Atacama and the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions. These areas host the company’s lithium brine operations, caliche ore mining, and chemical processing plants, forming the backbone of its global supply.

Internationally, SQM maintains a commercial and operational presence across North America, Europe, and Asia, with offices, distribution centers, and processing assets supporting sales to over 100 countries. The company’s global footprint allows it to serve major battery manufacturing hubs in China, South Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States, reinforcing its position as a critical supplier to global industrial and energy transition markets.

Leadership & Governance

SQM operates under a governance structure aligned with Chilean corporate law and international public company standards, with oversight from a board of directors and an executive management team. The company emphasizes operational excellence, capital discipline, and sustainability as core elements of its leadership philosophy, particularly in managing strategic natural resources with long-term environmental and social considerations.

Key members of SQM’s leadership include:

• Ricardo Ramos Ramos – Chief Executive Officer
• Hernán Büchi Buc – Vice Chairman of the Board
• Patricio Contesse González – Chief Financial Officer
• Carlos Díaz Correa – Vice President, Lithium and Iodine
• José Miguel Berguño Barnes – General Counsel and Corporate Affairs Executive

Leadership continuity and technical expertise have been central to SQM’s ability to scale lithium operations while maintaining its established specialty chemicals businesses.