The Mining Chamber of Mexico (Camimex) urged to generate a public policy that promotes responsible mining in Mexico.

Jaime Gutiérrez, president of Camimex, exposed that the industry has faced transcendental changes, such as the restriction of lithium for the exclusive use of the State in 2022 and the reform of the Mining Law in May 2023. 

«In the face of these challenges, we stood firm and united, which allowed us to convey our points of view in Congress and with federal authorities, managing to convey some of the serious impacts contained in the first initiative,» he said at a press conference on Wednesday. 

«Notwithstanding that some changes were achieved, we still have a great task to promote a public policy that encourages responsible mining in our country and that this activity is seen as what we are, natural allies for the wellbeing of Mexico,» he added.

Responsible mining

But Camimex highlighted that the industry is currently facing a new initiative that aims to ban open-pit mining. 

«As we have expressed on different occasions, we consider this proposal to be a mistake that would have serious consequences, in terms of employment and tax revenues, compromising economic development and the construction of a more sustainable future for Mexico,» said Gutiérrez.

Competitiveness

Camimex was incorporated on March 31, 1937, with an indefinite duration and its corporate purpose is to represent the general interests of the mining and metallurgical industry in Mexico.

Its objective? To promote the development of its associates and to assist in the defense of their interests, being a public, autonomous institution with a legal personality distinct from that of its affiliates.

According to the Chamber, these issues hinder the development of the mining industry: 

• The non-granting of new concessions. 
• Delays in the processing of formalities. 
• Legal uncertainty. 
• Recent changes to legislation. 
• The tax burden. 
• Insecurity in mining regions.

To reverse this, Camimex plans to establish and strengthen communication channels that generate dialogue and exchange of opinions with the authorities responsible for each issue, as well as with the different actors involved, developing specific proposals to address each of the problems.

Production

This is the value of Mexico’s mining-metallurgical production in the last four years:

• 2017: 241,727 million pesos.
• 2018: 241,634 million pesos.
• 2019: 228,296 million pesos.
• 2020: Ps. 281,516 million.
• 2021: 334,782 million pesos.
• 2022: Ps. 316,956 million.
• 2023: 261,061 million pesos.