Mining
Argentina's National Mining Secretariat (Secretaría de Minería de la Nación) published the Statistical Compendium of Metal Mining and Lithium Compounds Activity (Compendio Estadístico de la Actividad Minera Metalífera y Compuestos de Litio) for the first half of 2026, prepared by the National Directorate of Mining Promotion and Economics (Dirección Nacional de Promoción y Economía Minera). According to the report, exports of metallic minerals and lithium reached approximately $4.65 billion between January and June.
Gold led foreign sales with $2.921 billion, up 52% from the same period of 2025. Lithium ranked second, with $1.115 billion and a year-on-year rise of 190.1%, the largest percentage increase among the minerals the country produces. Silver completed the podium with $580.8 million (+94.1%).
The compendium measures only metallic minerals and lithium. The monthly export report from the same National Directorate covers the entire sector. That report recorded mining sales of $4.742 billion in the half, up 74.4% from a year earlier, and put mining at 9.7% of the country's total exports.
Switzerland and China Lead Purchases; Santa Cruz and San Juan Lead Sales
Using customs data, the compendium identifies Switzerland as the main destination for Argentine gold, with about $1.52 billion. In lithium, China was the main market, followed by South Korea and the United States. Buyers also include Germany, Belgium and Japan.
In the provincial breakdown, Santa Cruz accounted for 39.5% of national mining exports and San Juan for 22.9%. They were followed by Jujuy (17.9%), Salta (10.5%) and Catamarca (7.5%). The activity carries heavy weight in those provinces' foreign sales: it represents 95.9% of Catamarca's exports, 88.8% of Santa Cruz's, 88.6% in Jujuy, 88.5% in San Juan and 63.9% in Salta.
On production, the report indicates that in 2025 the country reached 1,200,000 ounces of gold, 22,360,000 ounces of silver and around 120,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). Employment in metal and lithium mining averaged 19,011 jobs in the second quarter of 2026, across production, exploration and financing.
RIGI, Regulations and Infrastructure
Through August 2026, the compendium counted 12 mining projects approved under the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI). Lithium accounts for six, copper three, gold two and silver one. Catamarca and San Juan have the most, with five and four respectively. The copper projects include Los Azules and Vicuña, in San Juan, and PSJ Cobre Mendocino, in Mendoza. For now, copper carries little weight in the export basket: $33.4 million in the half.
The report also tracks changes to the regulatory framework during 2026: the updated regulations of the Mining Investment Law (Law 24,196), the digitalization of import and VAT-refund procedures, and the one-year extension of the RIGI enrollment deadline.
Internationally, the document mentions critical-minerals cooperation agreements with the United States, Germany and South Korea. They add to those signed earlier with Canada, France and the European Union. With the United States, Argentina's Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) signed in February a Framework Instrument for Strengthening Supply in Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals. With South Korea, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on lithium was signed in late July.
On infrastructure, the compendium records the concessions of National Road Network corridors, updated rules for the circulation of B-double trucks (bitrenes), works to expand the high-voltage power system, adjustments in gas transportation and the tender process for freight rail infrastructure, which includes the Belgrano line.
