As battery technology grows in importance to a wide variety of products, some countries will become poised to profit off the lithium used in rechargeable batteries.
South America is home to a veritable goldmine. The mountainous border region shared by Argentina, Bolivia and Chile — dubbed the South American lithium triangle — holds some of the world's largest reserves of lithium, making it poised to rise in importance as the demand for the globe's "new oil" increases in the years to come. However, a host of political and regulatory risks, as well as logistical impediments, will hamper the development of lithium in the area, meaning the only country to fully benefit from the riches that lie beneath could be Chile. Dealing with Political Risks Politics represents one of the primary risks threatening the development of South America's lithium. Presidential elections will occur next year in Argentina and Bolivia, where Mauricio Macri and Evo Morales will respectively seek re-election.
