The Latin American Chamber of Lithium Denounces Millionaire Losses due to Under-Invoicing of Lithium Exports
- Juan Allan
- May 27
- 2 min read
The Latin American Chamber of Lithium accuses exporters of under-invoicing lithium, causing over $400 million in losses to Argentina, and demands judicial action against involved companies and officials

The Latin American Chamber of Lithium, through its president Pablo Rutigliano, filed a formal extension of the criminal complaint filed under file 3309/23, which incorporates new evidence that denounces systematic under-invoicing maneuvers in lithium exports during the fiscal year 2024.
The document was filed before the competent judge and contains a detailed technical-economic analysis, with evidential documentation that supports the accusations made by the entity. According to the report entitled “Extension of the Complaint of the Latin American Chamber of Lithium”, significant discrepancies were identified between the declared export prices of Argentine lithium (battery grade carbonate) and international references.
Alarming data: losses of more than USD 400 million
According to the document, while the average international price of lithium during 2024 was USD 15,157.30 per ton, the exporting companies declared an average FOB value of only USD 8,889.87. This difference, according to the report, would have generated an estimated loss for the country of USD 403,097,617.02 in unearned foreign currency.
The Chamber of Commerce argues that this situation not only constitutes a serious economic loss for the National State, but could also constitute various criminal offenses related to evasion and smuggling.
Questioning of the role of the State
The document also denounces the “lack of effective control” by the public bodies in charge of controlling these operations and warns about the lack of official recognition of lithium as a strategic commodity, a situation which, according to the plaintiff, aggravates the impact of these maneuvers.
Requests to Justice
Among the measures requested, Rutigliano requested:
The incorporation of the technical document as evidence in the case.
The summoning of the denounced responsible parties to testify.
The requirement of corporate, accounting and tax documentation to the companies involved.
The imposition of precautionary measures to protect the national patrimony.
The evaluation of the possible criminal liability of the public officials involved.
The Latin American Chamber of Lithium reaffirmed its commitment with transparency and the defense of the country's strategic resources, and requested that Justice act with the necessary speed to clarify the facts and punish those responsible.
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