Regulatory roundup: Reforms, permitting, prior consultation and more

Mexican mining chamber: Sector reforms are unviable and hit exploration hard

The reform to Mexico’s mining law published in May last year includes various provisions that are considered unviable, with exploration set to be the most impacted, the country’s mining chamber Camimex warned in its 2023 annual report.

“In particular, it was established that the only agent that will be able to carry out exploration for the identification of new mineral deposits is the Mexican geological service,” the chamber said.

Mexican labor judge sides with ArcelorMittal against steelworkers' union

A Mexico City district labor judge denied a protection request from mining and steelworkers union SNTMMSSRM related to a ruling that the strike at ArcelorMittal's Lázaro Cárdenas facilities in Michoacán state was illegal.

ArcelorMittal said the latest ruling validates that the strike originally did not follow the rules, considering that work was suspended prior to the date of the strike's official announcement.

Prior consultation comes under the spotlight in Ecuador

The one-year deadline given by Ecuador’s constitutional court for the national assembly to dispatch a law on prior consultation expires in November.

With only five months left until the deadline, experts see it as unlikely that legislators will comply with the court's mandate, especially considering that politicians have their sights set on the presidential and legislative elections next February.

Provincial projects expected to benefit from Milei’s investment regime, experts say

Experts expect Argentina’s provincial governments to benefit from President Javier Milei’s large investment incentive regime (Rigi). 

Part of the president’s economic framework law that was recently passed by congress, Rigi will give projects with investment of at least US$200 million tax, customs and exchange rate benefits for 30 years. Provinces will be able to be involved as long as the taxes to be applied are only those in force previously, with no new levies at a provincial level.

Vallourec obtains permits to expand Brazilian iron ore project

France-based tubular solutions company Vallourec obtained the necessary permits to advance with the first phase of expanding its Pau Branco iron ore mine in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. 

The required approvals came from the Minas Gerais state environmental authority Copam and from national mining regulator ANM.

Brazil's mining regulator signs deal with environmental authorities to speed up permitting

ANM signed a cooperation agreement with the country's two major environmental agencies as part of efforts by regulators to speed up permitting processes in the sector.

The agreement was reached between ANM, environmental watchdog Ibama and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the administrative arm of the environment ministry.

Brazilian agencies strike deal to speed up mining sector procedures

Industrial development agency ABDI and ANM signed a technical cooperation agreement with the aim of reducing ANM's procedural bottlenecks and proposing improvements in the regulatory framework of the mining sector.

"For this initiative, generative artificial intelligence will be used, which will allow for faster and more robust analysis of processes, facilitating decision-making by the technical team and the issuing of authorizations," said the mining regulator.

The tax reform regulations Brazil's lower house approved

Brazil’s lower house approved key regulations for the tax reform that was passed last year and is aimed at simplifying the system.

The reform will replace taxes like PIS, Cofins, IPI, ICMS and ISS with the federal and state IBS and CBS taxes, equivalent to VAT in other countries. The regulations must still be approved by the senate, and the tax regime is expected to be implemented gradually between 2026 and 2033.