The Minister of Mining is leading a week dedicated to this important sector of the economy, highlighting Chile's global leadership in the production of strategic minerals, as well as its commitment to increasingly modern, sustainable, and inclusive mining.
As part of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, Chile will hold Mining Week (June 14-18) in its national pavilion, with a program that highlights the strategic role of the Chilean mining industry in addressing the global challenges of the future.
The public-private delegation will be led by Minister Aurora Williams, who will be accompanied by representatives of the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC), such as its president, Susana Jiménez, and general manager Daniel Mas, as well as the president of the Mining Council, Joaquín Villarino, and authorities and executives from mining companies such as Codelco, Anglo American, SQM, Sigdo Koppers, Antofagasta Minerals, Teck, and others convened by ProChile.
Within the framework of the largest estimated portfolio of mining projects in the last decade, worth more than US$83 billion by 2033, the delegation's objective is to highlight the attributes and competitive conditions of Chilean mining in terms of innovation, safety, commitment to socio-environmental standards, and its relationship with the Japanese market.
"Chile is a reliable partner because we have responsible mining, with a focus on innovation, added value, and respect for the environment. Japan has been a strategic partner for our industry for decades, not only as a priority destination for our mining exports, but also as a key country in investment, technology, and innovation. This relationship has contributed to the development of efficient mining that is aligned with the global challenges demanded by the industry, and strengthening it is essential to move toward resilient mining with a future perspective that provides the minerals the world needs in a fair, inclusive, and responsible manner," said Mining Minister Aurora Williams.
During Mining Week at Expo Osaka, 13 companies and organizations from the mining sector will participate, brought together by ProChile, some with funding from the Regional Governments of Antofagasta and Tarapacá. The delegation is made up of Isprotec, Work Mining, Piedras Juntas, Pignus, Circulartec, Oñate Services, Electromin, the Iquique Industrial Association, Bruening Corp, Grupo Roes, EMESER, Great Process, and GEOIT. The last four companies are led by prominent women in the mining goods and services sector.
"Chile is a world leader in the production of minerals that are key to development, but it also has an associated industry of mining goods and services suppliers, mostly SMEs, which in 2024 had exports of around US$970 million. They provide essential support to the mining industry, with high technology and sustainable solutions based on innovation. So, our participation in Expo Osaka is an opportunity to showcase the national mining ecosystem as a whole as efficient and modern, but also to strengthen cooperation with Japan, a strategic partner for this sector," said Ignacio Fernández, Director General of ProChile.
Chile is the world's leading copper producer and has strategic minerals available for the global energy transition, such as lithium, molybdenum, and others. Nearly half of Chile's exports in 2024 correspond to copper (US$50.858 billion according to SUBREI), and Japan is the third largest market for this product.
Women in Mining Day and other notable activities
Among the most relevant activities of the week is the discussion “The Power of Alliances,” which has been organized as part of the commemoration of International Women in Mining Day, to be held on Tuesday, June 17, at the Chilean pavilion. This event seeks to highlight the growing role of women in the mining industry and promote greater gender equality in the sector. Chile is the second country in the world with the most women in mining, after Australia, according to the Gender Indicators Monitoring of the CCM-Eleva Alliance, with a 21.8% participation.
The main exhibition inside the pavilion, led by Codelco, includes pieces made from molybdenum and copper, among them a katana forged from Chilean molybdenum and a Mapuche witral made from copper. In addition, a thematic selection of mining images provided by the private sector will be displayed on the pavilion's screens, with an emphasis on showing safe, modern, and inclusive mining.
There will also be an immersive experience to live “A Day in the Mine” by the Chilean virtual reality company Pignus and technical talks by the National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) on geological and mining risks, drawing parallels between the telluric and volcanic natures of Chile and Japan.
Finally, the Mining Minister's agenda in Osaka includes participation in the Chile-Japan Business Summit “Connecting Opportunities,” organized by the CPC, where the Secretary of State will give a presentation on opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the area of responsible mining. In addition, the seminar will feature a section dedicated to mining, in which senior executives from large mining companies operating in Chile will discuss recent advances in the industry and its potential for cooperation with the Japanese market.
