Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2017
SQM Affair and foreign-corrupt-practices investigation
Chilean investigations examined alleged tax evasion, bribery and improper payments involving political figures and people connected with former SQM managers. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice announced a settlement covering alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and related accounting provisions. The company agreed to pay a penalty to resolve the parallel proceedings.
Environmental controversy over Atacama brine extraction
SQM's lithium extraction has been debated because of possible effects on groundwater, water availability and ecosystems in the Salar de Atacama. The company has commissioned environmental assessments and reported monitoring results, while critics and other stakeholders have disputed whether brine pumping can alter freshwater flows and ecological conditions.