SANTIAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Chile has launched an arbitration process against U.S.-based miner Albemarle, the world’s largest lithium producer, for allegedly underpaying royalties on its sales, the head of the state development office told a local newspaper on Sunday.
Read moreRecent joint venture dispute trends in mining sector
This article considers the duties, both express and implied, which joint venture partners may be under when dealing with each other. Can a party simply look out for itself or must it consider its partners' interests when conducting joint venture business? How do arbitrators approach these questions?
Read moreDisruptive technologies in mining industry: opportunities, risk mitigation and resolving disputes
Technological innovation continues to disrupt the status quo in established industries. While new technologies offer many opportunities within the mining industry, the corresponding risks and potential disputes are not far off. This article focuses on these opportunities, risks and disputes that might arise from changes in the mining industry and emerging avenues for avoiding and resolving such disputes.
Read moreMining arbitration: recent dispute trends
For instance, smartphones and electric vehicles are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, a component of which is cobalt. According to the African Natural Resources Centre of the African Development Bank, minerals account for an average of 70% of total African exports and approximately 28% of gross domestic product, and the potential for growth is immense. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone concentrates more than 50% of the world's cobalt reserves.
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