The temporary suspension of the exploitation right license of the Fénix mining company, operated by Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, in the department of Izabal, is reported.
After a group of neighbors claimed before the Supreme Court of Justice that for the mining project concerned, the community consultation process was not exhausted, in February of this year an injunction was granted in favor of the plaintiffs, but the company's operations were not suspended.
Between January and September 2016 the countries of the region exported 399 thousand tons of metalliferous minerals, led by Guatemala, with 375 thousand tons.
Figures from the information system on the the Metal Ores Market in Central America , compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Clic para interactuar con la gráfica"]
In 2015 Honduras and Guatemala exported ores such as zinc, nickel and other precious metals worth $47 million and $46 million respectively.
Figuresfrom the Report on Import and Export of Ores, Slag and Ash in Central America,prepared by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData.com show that in 2015 the countries in the region exported 1,207,000 tons of ores, slag and ash, equivalent in value to $93.4 million.
The decline in production and lower international prices explain the 20% drop in sales abroad in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2015.
The results from the first half of the year come at a time when the suspension of several mining licenses has started to cause uncertainty among companies and concessionaires in the sector. See: "Another Two Mines Suspended in Guatemala" and "Mining Moratorium Proposed".
Less mining of metals such as silver, lead, zinc and iron oxide explains the 17% drop in mining activities in the first quarter, compared to the last quarter.
In the quarterly GDP report up to March 2016 the Central Bank states that"...The negative result in Mining and Quarrying (-17.0%) was associated with a decline in metal ore mining (silver, lead, zinc and iron oxide), which has been discouraged by low prices in the international market, which do not stimulate the development of projects aimed at exploring new mineral deposits. "
The Mining Exploitation Project Niquegua Montufar II, run by Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, and the one called Tajmulco II, by Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, have been suspended by the government.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines indicates that "...Adhering to the appeal granted by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of the Civil and Commercial Branch constituted in the Court of Appeal, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), notified Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), of the suspension of its authorization license for operating the mining exploitation project Niquegua Montufar II. "
On August 16 and 17 industry representatives from around the globe will be taking part in business conferences and lectures on the role of mineral resources and the impact of the activity on the economy.
The II International Mining Congress is being organized by the Mining Chamber of Nicaragua and will be held on August 16 and 17 in Managua.
The Constitutional Court cited damages to the environment and illegality in the process of granting the concession of the Sechol mine in Alta Verapaz, owned by Mayaniquel SA.
From an article on Dca.gob.gt:
The Constitutional Court (CC) ruled in favor of the Environmental and Social Legal Action Center in Guatemala (CALAS) and ordered Mayaníquel SA to suspend the Sechol mining project, between the towns of Senahú and Panzós, Alta Verapaz.
Businessmen are complaining that there are over one hundred applications for licenses which have been approved by the Attorney but are pending review and approval by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Mining companies in Guatemala say that one of the reasons for the delays in the process for obtaining mining exploration licenses is because the government does not support this sector of the economy.
Processed foods, fuels, pharmaceuticals and chemicals are some of the nontraditional exports which grew by 7% in the first nine months of the year compared with the same period in 2013.
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport):
In September 2014, Guatemala's total exports reported an increase of 7% compared to the same date in 2013. Data from the Bank of Guatemala indicate that this increase in foreign sales has occurred in non-traditional products, such as electricity, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, rubber and many more.
Investment to be made in the local mining sector between 2009 and 2018 is estimated at $10 billion and it is projected that by 2019 the value of the export of metals will reach $2500 million a year.
From a statement from the Mining Chamber of Panama:
In the last six years capacity mining production in the country has tripled and it is expected to increase even more with the startup of two new projects.
According to Denis Lanzas Cisneros, vice president of the Chamber of Mines of Nicaragua, one of the main reasons behind the growth of the sector in recent years is the regulatory framework which established the Mining Act, which "... 'has created investor confidence in developing technology, and that has allowed us to increase our production capacity, improve our quality to get better returns from the waste materials we get from mining. That led, in 2013, to us becoming the chief exporter (country) with 442.6 million dollars which represented 18.44 percent of Nicaragua's total exports.'"
After a 30-year ban and with a $551 million investment, the Fenix project has resumed operations for the production of up to 25,000 tonnes of ferro nickel a year.
An operating license for the Niquelgua Montufar II mine was awarded in April 2013 to a subsidiary of Solway Group, Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, in which the Guatemalan state has a 1.8% stake.
A mining group plans to invest $27 million in a specialized port in Izabal which will have the capacity to move half a million tonnes of nickel per year.
Businessmen linked to the mining industry, and especially to Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), could be investing $27 million in the construction of a port to move half a million tonnes of nickel per year. The project would be built at kilometer 294 on the highway to the Atlantic, in at Justo Rufino Barrios, opposite the Municipal Cemetery of Puerto Barrios.
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