CODELCO (Chile)

Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) is Chile’s state‑owned copper company and the largest copper producer in the world, responsible for the exploration, extraction, processing, and commercialization of copper and by‑products such as molybdenum, rhenium, gold, and silver. The company was formally established in 1976 following the nationalization of Chile’s copper industry and operates major mining divisions, including Chuquicamata, El Teniente, Radomiro Tomic, Andina, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, and Ministro Hales, along with the Ventanas smelter and refinery. Codelco is fully owned by the Chilean State, and its mission is to maximize economic, environmental, and social value for the country through sustainable mining operations—an objective reaffirmed in its latest government‑reported strategic pillars covering safety, competitiveness, production, growth, sustainability, and people culture. The company produced 937,000 tons of copper during January–September 2025 and contributed US$1.24 billion to the Chilean Treasury in that period. As of 2025, Codelco also expanded into the lithium sector, obtaining authorization to develop lithium resources in the Salar de Maricunga and reaching agreements related to the Salar de Atacama. Codelco is headquartered in Santiago, employs nearly 18,000 people, and continues to lead global copper production with more than 1.3 million tonnes produced in 2025.