The Chilean National Customs Service made a detailed presentation of its mining oversight strategy to the members of the Civil Society Council (Cosoc) of the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco), organizations made up of various institutions and private associations linked to mining.
On this occasion, the National Director of Customs, José Ignacio Palma, and the Deputy Director of Inspection, Alonso Vega, showed how the institution works to control the exports and imports of metallic and non-metallic mining products.
The highest Chilean customs authority explained that this type of inspection is done through the application of various tools based on current regulations, where The Customs Chemical Laboratory, collaboration with other institutions, and the plans and tools available to the Service are essential.
Palma stressed: “We have sought to strengthen our operational, technical and professional capabilities. From this point of view, it is important to strengthen what our laboratory meant, one of the most advanced in Latin America (in the customs field), equipped with a high level of technology, and also the incorporation of highly qualified and specialized professionals, who are constantly up to date in the areas of their expertise.”
In addition, the National Director of Customs detailed various aspects that make up this specialized control work, essential for the country's economy, focusing on some of the products that have the highest levels of export, such as copper and lithium.
The Director explained that the Integrated Mining Inspection Plan is applied in Chilean Customs, using audits, investigations, documentary reviews, sampling and chemical analysis, inspection visits, shipment supervision and improvements in regulations as central tools.
Between 2015 and 2020, The mining oversight strategy has led to the filing of 6.740 criminal and regulatory complaints, with a total fiscal benefit of approximately $3.424.467.369.
Also, between the years 2015 and 2021 62 mining audits have been carried out, 840 shipment supervisions, 1.337 analyses of export and import products have been carried out, and an average of 13 types of products have been covered, including copper concentrate, finished lithium products and doré metal (gold).
As for the specific work of the Chemical Laboratory, The validation of methodologies developed between 2015 and 2020, corresponding to 67 for metallic mining in conjunction with the Federico Santa María Technical University (UTFSM) and 58 for non-metallic mining associated especially with the supervision of lithium as part of the Tripartite Agreement signed with Corfo and the Chilean Energy Commission (CChEN).
To carry out this work, Customs works closely with institutions such as Corfo, Cochilco, CChEN, the Internal Revenue Service (SII), the National Institute of Standardization (INN) and the National Geology and Mining Service.
Representatives of the Mining Council, the National Mining Society (Sonami), the College of Geologists, the College of Engineers of Chile, the Geological Society of Chile, the universities of Santiago, Adolfo Ibáñez, Central, the Federation of Copper Workers of Codelco, the Los Bronces Workers Union, the Chilean Mining Federation, Women in Mining, Minnovex (trade association of companies for innovation); the Center for Development Studies (CED), the Terram Foundation and the Institute of Mining Engineers participate in the Cosoc of Cochilco.
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