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v3.19.1

Gains (losses) from operating activities in the statement of income by function of expenses, included according to their nature (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure Of Revenue From Products and Services [Abstract] |
Disclosure of disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers [text block] | The Group derives revenues from the sale of goods (which are recognised at one point in time) and from the provision of services (which are recognised over time) and are distributed among the following geographical areas and main product and service lines:
12/31/2018 |
Geographic areas |  | Specialty plant nutrition |  |  | Iodine and derivatives |  |  | Lithium and derivatives |  |  | Potassium |  |  | Industrial chemicals |  |  | Other |  |  | Total ThUS$ |
Chile |  |  | 111,595 |  |  |  | 1,052 |  |  |  | 700 |  |  |  | 25,593 |  |  |  | 4,575 |  |  |  | 45,834 |  |  |  | 189,349 |
Latin America and the Caribbean |  |  | 77,737 |  |  |  | 6,390 |  |  |  | 3,596 |  |  |  | 80,192 |  |  |  | 12,097 |  |  |  | 177 |  |  |  | 180,189 |
Europe |  |  | 200,229 |  |  |  | 112,080 |  |  |  | 103,430 |  |  |  | 46,068 |  |  |  | 17,384 |  |  |  | 473 |  |  |  | 479,664 |
North America |  |  | 240,995 |  |  |  | 83,587 |  |  |  | 68,254 |  |  |  | 50,685 |  |  |  | 27,347 |  |  |  | 647 |  |  |  | 471,515 |
Asia and Others |  |  | 151,194 |  |  |  | 121,863 |  |  |  | 558,821 |  |  |  | 64,936 |  |  |  | 46,865 |  |  |  | 1,407 |  |  |  | 945,086 |
Total |  |  | 781,750 |  |  |  | 324,972 |  |  |  | 734,801 |  |  |  | 267,474 |  |  |  | 108,268 |  |  |  | 48,538 |  |  |  | 2,265,803 |
12/31/2017 |
Geographic areas |  | Specialty plant nutrition |  |  | Iodine and derivatives |  |  | Lithium and derivatives |  |  | Potassium |  |  | Industrial chemicals |  |  | Other |  |  | Total ThUS$ |
Chile |  |  | 91,243 |  |  |  | 1,054 |  |  |  | 802 |  |  |  | 20,001 |  |  |  | 2,522 |  |  |  | 45,942 |  |  |  | 161,564 |
Latin America and the Caribbean |  |  | 71,335 |  |  |  | 5,756 |  |  |  | 3,109 |  |  |  | 142,610 |  |  |  | 9,180 |  |  |  | 155 |  |  |  | 232,145 |
Europe |  |  | 177,997 |  |  |  | 81,557 |  |  |  | 88,443 |  |  |  | 72,405 |  |  |  | 28,346 |  |  |  | 305 |  |  |  | 449,053 |
North America |  |  | 235,963 |  |  |  | 67,491 |  |  |  | 42,918 |  |  |  | 69,105 |  |  |  | 25,824 |  |  |  | 553 |  |  |  | 441,854 |
Asia and Others |  |  | 120,713 |  |  |  | 96,265 |  |  |  | 509,301 |  |  |  | 75,205 |  |  |  | 69,706 |  |  |  | 1,517 |  |  |  | 872,707 |
Total |  |  | 697,251 |  |  |  | 252,123 |  |  |  | 644,573 |  |  |  | 379,326 |  |  |  | 135,578 |  |  |  | 48,472 |  |  |  | 2,157,323 |
12/31/2016 |
Geographic areas |  | Specialty plant nutrition |  |  | Iodine and derivatives |  |  | Lithium and derivatives |  |  | Potassium |  |  | Industrial chemicals |  |  | Other |  |  | Total ThUS$ |
Chile |  |  | 102,804 |  |  |  | 1,319 |  |  |  | 500 |  |  |  | 18,940 |  |  |  | 3,398 |  |  |  | 60,108 |  |  |  | 187,069 |
Latin America and the Caribbean |  |  | 69,805 |  |  |  | 6,136 |  |  |  | 3,002 |  |  |  | 154,012 |  |  |  | 9,194 |  |  |  | 223 |  |  |  | 242,372 |
Europe |  |  | 116,863 |  |  |  | 86,095 |  |  |  | 77,850 |  |  |  | 82,040 |  |  |  | 14,391 |  |  |  | 887 |  |  |  | 378,126 |
North America |  |  | 211,954 |  |  |  | 63,193 |  |  |  | 41,226 |  |  |  | 81,043 |  |  |  | 24,485 |  |  |  | 337 |  |  |  | 422,238 |
Asia and Others |  |  | 122,427 |  |  |  | 74,401 |  |  |  | 392,049 |  |  |  | 67,288 |  |  |  | 52,669 |  |  |  | 683 |  |  |  | 709,517 |
Total |  |  | 623,853 |  |  |  | 231,144 |  |  |  | 514,627 |  |  |  | 403,323 |  |  |  | 104,137 |  |  |  | 62,238 |  |  |  | 1,939,322 |
Disclosure Of Revenue By Products Text Block [Text Block] | a) b) Main product lines:
|  | January to December |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Products and Services |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Specialty plant nutrition |  |  | 781,750 |  |  |  | 697,251 |  |  |  | 623,853 |
Sodium Nitrates |  |  | 17,688 |  |  |  | 18,555 |  |  |  | 16,891 |
Potassium nitrate and sodium potassium nitrate |  |  | 527,945 |  |  |  | 474,451 |  |  |  | 390,964 |
Specialty Blends |  |  | 145,512 |  |  |  | 121,263 |  |  |  | 129,943 |
Other specialty fertilizers |  |  | 90,605 |  |  |  | 82,982 |  |  |  | 86,055 |
Iodine and derivatives |  |  | 324,972 |  |  |  | 252,123 |  |  |  | 231,144 |
Lithium and derivatives |  |  | 734,801 |  |  |  | 644,573 |  |  |  | 514,627 |
Potassium |  |  | 267,474 |  |  |  | 379,326 |  |  |  | 403,323 |
Industrial chemicals |  |  | 108,268 |  |  |  | 135,578 |  |  |  | 104,137 |
Other |  |  | 48,538 |  |  |  | 48,472 |  |  |  | 62,238 |
Commodities |  |  | 18,582 |  |  |  | 11,822 |  |  |  | 19,842 |
Other ordinary income Commercial Offices |  |  | 24,465 |  |  |  | 32,784 |  |  |  | 37,068 |
Income from services rendered and others Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from the provision of services |  |  | 4,017 |  |  |  | 3,795 |  |  |  | 4,122 |
Income from leasing properties |  |  | 1,474 |  |  |  | 71 |  |  |  | 1,205 |
Total |  |  | 2,265,803 |  |  |  | 2,157,323 |  |  |  | 1,939,322 |
Disclosure of cost of sales [text block] |
| 25.2 | Cost of sales
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 12/31/2017 |  |  | 12/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Raw materials and consumables used |  |  | (260,863 | ) |  |  | (227,620 | ) |  |  | (208,697 | )
Classes of employee benefit expenses |  |  | (203,569 | ) |  |  | (172,084 | ) |  |  | (162,335 | )
Depreciation expense |  |  | (212,582 | ) |  |  | (232,275 | ) |  |  | (271,128 | )
Amortization expense |  |  | (7,194 | ) |  |  | (8,153 | ) |  |  | (12,438 | )
Operating leases |  |  | (75,395 | ) |  |  | (80,160 | ) |  |  | (71,548 | )
Investment plan expenses |  |  | (13,384 | ) |  |  | (17,180 | ) |  |  | (17,697 | )
Contractors |  |  | (78,825 | ) |  |  | (72,348 | ) |  |  | (66,051 | )
Mining concessions |  |  | (8,168 | ) |  |  | (7,802 | ) |  |  | (7,313 | )
Operations transport |  |  | (64,352 | ) |  |  | (69,052 | ) |  |  | (59,399 | )
Freight and product transport costs |  |  | (43,510 | ) |  |  | (55,383 | ) |  |  | (64,857 | )
Purchase of products from third parties |  |  | (239,781 | ) |  |  | (208,147 | ) |  |  | (211,928 | )
Insurance |  |  | (9,816 | ) |  |  | (10,255 | ) |  |  | (12,033 | )
CORFO rights |  |  | (182,954 | ) |  |  | (46,274 | ) |  |  | (41,962 | )
Export costs |  |  | (84,816 | ) |  |  | (83,057 | ) |  |  | (105,307 | )
Variation in inventory |  |  | 11,600 |  |  |  | (90,998 | ) |  |  | (10,774 | )
Other expenses, by nature |  |  | (9,915 | ) |  |  | (14,034 | ) |  |  | (4,818 | )
Total |  |  | (1,483,524 | ) |  |  | (1,394,822 | ) |  |  | (1,328,285 | )
Disclosure of detailed information about other income [Text Block] |
| 25.3 | Other income
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 12/31/2017 |  |  | 12/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Discounts obtained from suppliers |  |  | 705 |  |  |  | 345 |  |  |  | 771 |
Fines charged to suppliers |  |  | 698 |  |  |  | 199 |  |  |  | 358 |
Taxes recovered |  |  | 685 |  |  |  | 1,278 |  |  |  | 657 |
Amounts recovered from insurance |  |  | 443 |  |  |  | 154 |  |  |  | 5,636 |
Overestimate of provisions for third-party obligations |  |  | 375 |  |  |  | 586 |  |  |  | 573 |
Other operating income |  |  | 1,847 |  |  |  | 4,543 |  |  |  | 2,690 |
Options on mining claims |  |  | 16,095 |  |  |  | 2,607 |  |  |  | 2,577 |
Easements, pipelines and roads |  |  | 10,806 |  |  |  | 4,656 |  |  |  | 219 |
Reimbursement mining licenses and notary expenses |  |  | 394 |  |  |  | 1,196 |  |  |  | 1,300 |
Shares obtained in junior mining companies through options |  |  | - |  |  |  | 2,263 |  |  |  | 421 |
Total |  |  | 32,048 |  |  |  | 17,827 |  |  |  | 15,202 |
Description of detailed information about employee benefits by nature of expenses [Text Block] |
| 25.4 | Administrative expenses
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 13/31/2017 |  |  | 13/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Employee benefit expenses by nature |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Remuneration and benefits to employees |  |  | (63,880 | ) |  |  | (51,761 | ) |  |  | (47,192 | )
Marketing costs |  |  | (3,078 | ) |  |  | (2,539 | ) |  |  | (1,535 | )
Amortization expenses |  |  | (15 | ) |  |  | (8 | ) |  |  | (6 | )
Entertainment expenses |  |  | (4,805 | ) |  |  | (4,781 | ) |  |  | (4,022 | )
Advisory services |  |  | (12,848 | ) |  |  | (14,348 | ) |  |  | (16,474 | )
Leases |  |  | (4,556 | ) |  |  | (4,097 | ) |  |  | (4,236 | )
Insurance |  |  | (1,758 | ) |  |  | (1,767 | ) |  |  | (1,732 | )
Office expenses |  |  | (8,165 | ) |  |  | (5,357 | ) |  |  | (5,182 | )
Contractors |  |  | (5,730 | ) |  |  | (4,805 | ) |  |  | (4,329 | )
Other expenses, by nature |  |  | (13,291 | ) |  |  | (11,708 | ) |  |  | (3,728 | )
Total |  |  | (118,126 | ) |  |  | (101,171 | ) |  |  | (88,436 | )
Disclosure of detailed information about expenses by function [Text Block] |
| 25.5 | Other expenses by function
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 12/31/2017 |  |  | 12/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Classes of Employee Benefit Expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation and amortization expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation of assets not in use |  |  | (59 | ) |  |  | (90 | ) |  |  | (111 | )
Subtotal |  |  | (59 | ) |  |  | (90 | ) |  |  | (111 | )
Impairment losses (reversals of impairment losses) recognized in profit (loss) for the year |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense intangible |  |  | (1,649 | ) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Subtotal |  |  | (1,649 | ) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Other expenses, by nature |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Legal expenses |  |  | (15,139 | ) |  |  | (25,176 | ) |  |  | (5,737 | )
VAT and other unrecoverable taxes |  |  | (1,187 | ) |  |  | (1,295 | ) |  |  | (1,015 | )
Fines paid |  |  | (965 | ) |  |  | (1,112 | ) |  |  | (31,867 | )
Investment plan expenses |  |  | (13,419 | ) |  |  | (10,006 | ) |  |  | (6,657 | )
Donations not accepted as tax credit |  |  | (4,502 | ) |  |  | (5,527 | ) |  |  | (1,692 | )
Reorganization of related businesses |  |  | 6,000 |  |  |  | (6,000 | ) |  |  | - |
Expenses to cease operations |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | (32,061 | )
Other operating expenses |  |  | (7,636 | ) |  |  | (4,394 | ) |  |  | (3,393 | )
Subtotal |  |  | (35,199 | ) |  |  | (53,510 | ) |  |  | (82,422 | )
Total |  |  | (36,907 | ) |  |  | (53,600 | ) |  |  | (82,533 | )
Disclosure of detailed information about other income expenses [Text Block] |
| 25.6 | Other gains (losses)
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 12/31/2017 |  |  | 12/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Adjust previous year application method of participation |  |  | (664 | ) |  |  | 500 |  |  |  | (721 | )
Impairment of interests in joint ventures (1) |  |  | (8,802 | ) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Sales of investments (2) |  |  | 13,748 |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | 7,636 |
Others |  |  | 2,122 |  |  |  | 43 |  |  |  | (6,236 | )
Total |  |  | 6,404 |  |  |  | 543 |  |  |  | 679 |
| (1) | See Note 10.2.
| (2) | During the month of December 2018, SQM S.A. sold its interest in Minera Exar S.A. generating a pre-tax profit of ThUS$14,507.
Disclosure Of Impairment Losses And Reversal Of Impairment Losses [Table Text Block] |
| 25.7 | Impairment of gains and reversal of impairment losses
|  | 12/31/2018 |  |  | 12/31/2017 |  |  | 12/31/2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Net impairment gains on reversal (losses) of financial assets |  |  | 2,967 |  |  |  | (8,038 | ) |  |  | (7,198 | )
Total |  |  | 2,967 |  |  |  | (8,038 | ) |  |  | (7,198 | )
Disclosure of detailed information about expenses by nature [Text Block] |
| 25.8 | Summary of expenses by nature
|  | January to December |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Raw materials and consumables |  |  | (260,863 | ) |  |  | (227,620 | ) |  |  | (208,697 | )
Classes of Employee Benefit Expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Personnel expenses |  |  | (267,449 | ) |  |  | (223,845 | ) |  |  | (209,527 | )
Depreciation and amortization expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation expense |  |  | (212,641 | ) |  |  | (232,365 | ) |  |  | (271,239 | )
Amortization expense |  |  | (8,858 | ) |  |  | (8,161 | ) |  |  | (12,444 | )
Operating leases |  |  | (79,951 | ) |  |  | (84,257 | ) |  |  | (75,784 | )
Legal expenses |  |  | (15,139 | ) |  |  | (25,176 | ) |  |  | (5,737 | )
Investment plan expenses |  |  | (26,803 | ) |  |  | (27,186 | ) |  |  | (24,354 | )
Contractors |  |  | (86,313 | ) |  |  | (78,920 | ) |  |  | (72,112 | )
Mining concessions |  |  | (8,168 | ) |  |  | (7,802 | ) |  |  | (7,313 | )
Operation transport |  |  | (64,352 | ) |  |  | (69,052 | ) |  |  | (59,399 | )
Freight and product transport costs |  |  | (43,510 | ) |  |  | (55,383 | ) |  |  | (64,857 | )
Purchase of products from third parties |  |  | (239,781 | ) |  |  | (208,147 | ) |  |  | (211,928 | )
Office expenses |  |  | (17,981 | ) |  |  | (15,612 | ) |  |  | (17,215 | )
CORFO rights |  |  | (182,954 | ) |  |  | (46,274 | ) |  |  | (41,962 | )
Export costs |  |  | (84,816 | ) |  |  | (83,057 | ) |  |  | (105,307 | )
Representation expenses |  |  | (4,805 | ) |  |  | (4,781 | ) |  |  | (4,022 | )
Restructuring of joint ventures |  |  | 6,000 |  |  |  | (6,000 | ) |  |  | - |
Plant suspension expenses |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | (32,061 | )
Consultant and advisor services |  |  | (12,848 | ) |  |  | (14,348 | ) |  |  | (16,474 | )
Variation in inventory |  |  | 11,600 |  |  |  | (90,998 | ) |  |  | (10,774 | )
Other expenses, by nature |  |  | (38,925 | ) |  |  | (40,609 | ) |  |  | (48,048 | )
Other expenses by nature |  |  | (1,638,557 | ) |  |  | (1,549,593 | ) |  |  | (1,499,254 | )
Disclosure of interest expense [text block] |
| 25.9 | Finance expenses
|  | January to December |  |  |  |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |  |  | ThUS$ |
Interest expense from bank borrowings and overdrafts |  |  | (1,707 | ) |  |  | (1,650 | ) |  |  | (1,847 | )
Interest expense from bonds |  |  | (55,887 | ) |  |  | (49,373 | ) |  |  | (55,563 | )
Interest expense from loans |  |  | (3,093 | ) |  |  | (2,002 | ) |  |  | (4,419 | )
Capitalized interest expenses |  |  | 5,021 |  |  |  | 4,382 |  |  |  | 5,406 |
Financial expenses for site closure |  |  | (960 | ) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Other finance costs |  |  | (3,288 | ) |  |  | (1,481 | ) |  |  | (1,075 | )
Total |  |  | (59,914 | ) |  |  | (50,124 | ) |  |  | (57,498 | )

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