The province’s exports originate mainly from mining, as well as from the holticultural and olive and derivatives production chain, among others’. The latter have a minor participation in the total exports.
The external sales of minerals such as copper, molybdenum, gold and lithium have a strong impact on exports. As a result, a stark difference takes place between primary products exports and industrial and agricultural manufactures.
When analyzing the province’s exports evolution between 2010 and 2018, a growth until 2012 can be traced, where they have reached the annual sum of US$ 1740.8 million. There, regional exports presented an important participation of about 30%, and national exports about 2%. From there, a constant decrease occurs until 2018, together with an abrupt drop in 2015 where the exports consisted of an annual of US$ 576.9 millions. This represents a meaningful reduction of regional and national participation.
Inorganic chemical products were the main exported by the province, with sales of U$S 73 million, which signifies a 3% inter-annual decline and represents 54% of the province’s exports. At a disaggregated level, lithium carbonate represented 99,9% of the item’s total export. Positioned at second place of exports are precious stones and metals with sales of U$S 29 million.
This amount constitutes a 12% increase in comparison to 2019’s. Furthermore, the corn exports reached a total of U$S 9,7 million (-14% i.a.).
Catamarca’s main export destinations were the regions: Asian Pacific (with lithium carbonate, maize in grain and soybeans), NAFTA (lithium carbonate, chocolates and candy, and extra virgin olive oil, among others), European Union ( extra virgin olive oil, lithium carbonate and other ground nuts, among the predominant), and Mercosur (wheat and meslin, beverages preparations and olives preserved by vinegar).
