Mexican lithium: from its “nationalization” to the dispute with China

Abstract

The article analyzes the growing global demand for lithium (with an emphasis on its use in electric vehicle batteries, which accounts for nearly 90%) and the strategic regions involved, including Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Peru, which together hold the world’s largest lithium reserves. Specifically regarding Mexico, it notes that, given its lithium wealth (it ranks 10th in the world), former President López Obrador decided to declare lithium a strategic element and national heritage to protect it from the granting of mining concessions to private companies (which had taken over more than half of the territory). However, a Chinese company has sued the Mexican government to exploit Mexico’s lithium. It had literally proposed shipping the clay, unprocessed, to Asia, which perpetuates permanent primary accumulation, accumulation through dispossession, the primary export model, and the necroeconomy.