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Events occurred after the reporting date (Details) - SQM Salar S.A. [Member] - USD ($) | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Jan. 17, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Disclosure of example to describe about selection of lease payment rate |  | As an example and considering a price of US$12,600 per metric ton (similar to the average price seen in the third quarter of 2017), the lease rate would have been equal to 19.14%.
Lithium carbonate [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate |  | 6.80%
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range One [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 6.80% |
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Two [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 8.00% |
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Three [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 10.00% |
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Four [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 17.00% |
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Five [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 25.00% |
Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Six [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Lease payment rate | 40.00% |
Top of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range One [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | $ 4,000 |
Top of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Two [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 5,000 |
Top of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Three [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 6,000 |
Top of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Four [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 7,000 |
Top of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Five [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 10,000 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range One [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 0 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Two [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 4,000 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Three [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 5,000 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Four [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 6,000 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Five [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | 7,000 |
Bottom of range [member] | Modification of agreement with CORFO [Member] | Lithium carbonate [Member] | Price Range Six [Member] |  |
Disclosure of Events occurred after the reporting date [Line Items] |  |
Selling price of product | $ 10,000 |

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- Definition The disclosure of example to describe about selection of lease payment rate. + References No definition available. + Details
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