Argentine mining exports closed October with unprecedented performance, driven by the increase in private investments under the government of Javier Milei, the strong dynamism of metalliferous minerals, and the sustained rise of lithium.
According to data released by the Secretariat of Mining, the sector recorded foreign shipments totaling USD 650 million in that month alone, a figure that consolidated an annual total of USD 4.87 billion between January and October and set a new historical record.
The volume reached not only represents 4% growth compared to the total exported during all of 2023, but also surpassed the values recorded in 2011, when the sector had reached USD 4.082 billion in the same period.
This surge confirms the greater weight of mining within national foreign trade, where mining products accounted for 8.9% of the country's exports in October, while in the cumulative total for the first ten months of the year, their share reached 6.9%.
The year-on-year increase was one of the most notable data points. The value exported in October grew by 45.4% compared to the same month in 2023, and the annual total showed a 34.6% increase over the previous year. In addition, the total exported between January and October was 57% above the historical average recorded between 2010 and 2023 for that period.
Details of mining exports
Within the export basket, metalliferous minerals accounted for the largest share of sales, with exports totaling USD 525 million during October. This amount represented a 42.9% year-on-year increase and accounted for 80.8% of mining shipments for the month. Gold once again took center stage in the segment: it reached sales of USD 424 million, equivalent to 65% of all mining exports.
