Date: Signed December 23, 2025 | Location: Santiago, Chile
Member Nations: Bolivia, Chile, Argentina (The "Lithium Triangle")
While the world was distracted by the US blockade on Venezuela and the conflicts in Southeast Asia, a tectonic shift occurred in the global energy market. The three South American nations that control nearly 60% of the world's known lithium resources have officially formed a cartel.
The Deal: Controlling the "White Gold"
After years of failed negotiations, the ministers of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina signed the "Atacama Accord" in Santiago.
The Mechanism: Similar to how OPEC controls oil prices, this new bloc will set quarterly export quotas for raw lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.
The Goal: The stated aim is to stabilize prices (which had crashed in 2024 due to oversupply) and force foreign companies to build battery factories inside South America rather than just extracting raw ore.
The Secretariat: A permanent headquarters will be established in La Paz, Bolivia, with a rotating presidency starting with Chile.
Why Now?
The timing is strategic.
Price Crash Recovery: Lithium prices plummeted in 2024-2025 due to a flood of supply from Australia and China. The "Triangle" nations want to artificially restrict supply to drive prices back up to profitable levels ($30,000+ per tonne).
Geopolitical Leverage: With the US and China fighting a "Chip War" and an "Oil War" (Venezuela), these nations realized they hold the leverage for the next war: the Battery War.
Global Reaction
China (The Biggest Loser?): China processes 70% of the world's lithium but imports most of the raw ore from South America. Beijing has already issued a statement calling the cartel "protectionist and dangerous for the green transition."
Tesla & Western Auto: Elon Musk posted a cryptic "History rhymes" tweet, likely referencing the 1970s oil crisis. Western automakers are expected to aggressively lobby the US to exempt "strategic partners" from these quotas.
