Catamarca Province

Catamarca Province dominates Argentina's lithium production—20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent annually, hosting most national exploration projects and positioning the province as anchor of the "Lithium Triangle." Together with Salta and Jujuy, Catamarca's mining exports reached $146 million in November 2024 alone, with 31.4% year-over-year growth driven by lithium volumes.

Mining now constitutes 75.9% of total exports from the three NOA (Northwestern Argentina) provinces, up from 59.2% in 2023—a structural shift toward extraction-based economy. The UMPC (Emirati) $550 million investment in Rio Grande Sur lithium salar project signals continued foreign capital inflow: 700 construction jobs, 200 permanent positions, $168 million local economic impact projected.

Copper adds diversification potential. The Agua Rica deposit and Glencore's MARA open-pit operation position Catamarca for the projected $5 billion national copper export industry by 2030. Combined with lithium's projected $12 billion, mineral exports could transform Catamarca from peripheral province to economic anchor.

The regulatory environment explains investment concentration: Catamarca ranks among Argentina's "most mining-friendly" provinces alongside San Juan and Salta. Provincial openness to extraction attracts capital that more restrictive jurisdictions repel.

By 2026, Catamarca tests whether mining revenue generates broader provincial development or concentrates benefits in extraction zones while leaving broader territory unchanged—the classic resource curse risk confronting any region whose economy suddenly pivots toward exportable minerals.