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Contingencies and restrictions (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Mar. 24, 2017 | Aug. 26, 2016
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Tax contingency, amount claimed |  |  | $ 14,400 | $ 17,800
Tax contingency, amount under dispute correspond to excess charge levied | $ 7,000 |  |  |
Expected claim for differences in specific tax on mining activities | 69,000 |  |  |
Guarantee obligations | 551 |  |  |
Other environment related contingent liability [member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Estimated Contingent Liabilities | 9,000 |  |  |
Provision for taxes other than income tax [member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Tax contingency, amount under dispute | 32,200 |  |  |
Tax contingency, amount under dispute correspond to excess charge levied | 7,000 |  |  |
Tax Contingency Amount Related To Specific Mining Tax | 25,200 |  |  |
Tax Contingency Excess Charge Amount Returned | 5,800 |  |  |
Tax Contingency Amount Related To First Category Tax Rate Plus Interests And Fines | 1,200 |  |  |
Soquimich Comercial S.A. [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, damages owed, value | 1,200 |  |  |
Collateral Security Carrying Value | $ 9,611 | $ 9,423 |  |
Lawsuit one [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | City of Pomona California, USA |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM North America Corporation |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | December 2010 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | United States District Court Central District of California |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Payment of expenses and other amounts related to the treatment of groundwater to allow for its consumption by removing the existing perchlorate in such groundwater that allegedly comes from Chilean fertilizers. |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | On May 17, 2018, district judge Gary Klausner sentenced in favor of SQM NA following the verdict of the jury, On February 6, 2020, the court of appeals of the 9th circuit of United States ordered a retrial before the District Court. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 32,000 |  |  |
Lawsuit two [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | City of Lindsay, California, USA |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM NA and the Company (still not noticed) |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | December 2010 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | United States District Court Eastern District of California. |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Payment of expenses and other amounts related to the treatment of groundwater to allow for its consumption by removing the existing perchlorate in such groundwater that allegedly comes from Chilean fertilizers. |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Filing of the case, processing suspended. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | Not possible to determine. |  |  |
Lawsuit three [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | H&V Van Mele N.V. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | NV Euroports, SQM Europe N.V. y and its insurance companies |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | July 2013 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Commercial Court |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Alleged indirect responsibility for the absence of adequate specifications for the SOP–WS by the Belgian distributor |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Sentencing against NV Euroports and subsidy SQM Europe N.V., for EUR 206,675.91, Appeal presented in November 2017 |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 430 |  |  |
Lawsuit four [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Carlos Aravena Carrizo et al. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Nitratos S.A. and its insurers |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | May 2014 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | 18th Civil Court Santiago |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Lawsuit seeking compensation for damages for alleged civil liability under tort as a result of an explosion that occurred during 2010 near Baquedano, causing the death of 6 employees |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | On May 7, 2019 2019 The 18th Civil Court of Santiago rejected the lawsuit. The case is before the Santiago Court of Appeals, which will hear the plaintiffs' appeal |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 1,235 |  |  |
Lawsuit five [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | SQM Salar S.A. and the Company |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | Seguros Generales Suramericana S.A. (formerly - RSA Seguros Chile S.A.) |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | August 29, 2016. |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Arbitration award in accordance with the arbitration rules established by the CAM |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Complaint for forced compliance and collection of indemnification for insurance claim of February 7 and 8, 2013 |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Evidence stage |  |  |
Lawsuit six [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Tyne and Wear Pension Fund represented by the Council of the Borough of South Tyneside acting as Lead Plaintiff |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | The Company |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | January 2016 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | United States District Court – Southern District of New York |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Alleged damage to ADS holders of the Company resulting from alleged noncompliance with the securities regulations in the United States by the Company |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Initial stage of disclosure of background information |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 20,658 |  |  |
Lawsuit seven [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Ernesto Saldaña González et al |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | SQM Salar S.A., SQM Industrial S.A. and their insurance companies |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | 13 |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Lawsuit seeking compensation for damages for alleged civil liability under tort law arising from the accident that occurred in July 2014 in the María Elena location |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | On March 6, 2019, the ruling in first instance was passed, dismissing the claim. The case is currently before the Santiago Court of Appeals, which will hear the plaintiffs' appeal. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 515 |  |  |
Lawsuit eight [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Transportes Buen Destino S.A. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Salar. |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | January 24, 2018 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Arbitration award in accordance with the arbitration rules established by the CAM |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Discrepancies generated in the implementation of the following contracts entered into between TBD and SQM Salar: (i) lithium brine transportation; and (ii) salt transportation |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Pending evidentiary stage. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 3,019 |  |  |
Lawsuit nine [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Atacameña de Peine Indigenous Community, Atacameña de Camar Indigenous Community and the Consejo de Pueblos Atacameños. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SMA. SQM Salar has intervened as an independent third party. |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | January 30, 2019 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | 1st Environmental Court |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Declare the SMA's decision illegal, which approved the PdC submitted by SQM Salar. |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | On December 26, 2019, the First Environmental Court of Antofagasta partially accepted the claim presented by the indigenous communities, rendering null and void the SMA resolution that approved the PdC and suspended the sanctions process against SQM Salar. On January 16, 2020, motions for cassation on grounds of form and substance, filed by the Company, were declared admissible and these will be addressed and resolved by the Supreme Court. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | Not determined |  |  |
Lawsuit ten [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Quillagua Aymara Indigenous Community and Quechua de Huatacondo Indigenous Community |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SMA |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | March 22, 2019 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | First Environmental Court of Santiago |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Declare the SMA's decision illegal, which approved the PdC submitted by the Company |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Pending the case hearing |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | Not determined |  |  |
Lawsuit eleven [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Congresspersons Claudia Nathalie Mix Jiménez, Gael Fernanda Yeomans Araya, Camila Ruslay Rojas Valderrama et al. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | CORFO. The entity has intervened as an independent third party |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | September 6,2018 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Special Magistrate, Mr. Alejandro Madrid Crohare |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | To render null and void the contract for the Salar de Atacama Project signed between CORFO and SQM Salar. |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Discussion stage |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | Not determined |  |  |
Lawsuit twelve [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Danilo Andrés Araya Rojas et al. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | FPC Ingeniería y Construcción SpA, SQM S.A. and its insurers |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | May, 2019 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | 19° Civil Court of Santiago |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Claim seeking compensation for damages, for extracontractual liability resulting from the traffic accident occurring on March 5, 2018 on Route 5, kilometer 1713, near Pozo Almonte, involving an overturned pick-up truck owned by FPC resulting in the death of its two occupants, both employees of FPC, one of which was father of the four claimants. At the time the accident occurred, the employees were heading towards their homes on the SQM site in Nueva Victoria (traffic accident). The four children of one of the deceased employees are the claimants in this case, compensation for moral damages |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Discussion stage |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 1,194 |  |  |
Lawsuit thirteen [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Servicios Logísticos Integrales Inversol SpA |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Salar |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | June 24, 2019. |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Arbitration in accordance with the rules established by CAM |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Controversies originating in the implementation of the salt transportation contract |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Discussion stage |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | ThUS$ 7,029 |  |  |
Lawsuit fourteen [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Fennix Industrial SpA |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Salar |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | April 17, 2019. |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | First Civil Court of Concepción. |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Disputes arising from the execution of civil works and electromechanical assembly contracts. |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Pending ruling on motion to dismiss based on lack of jurisdiction. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | THUS$ 770 |  |  |
Lawsuit fifteen [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Fennix Industrial SpA |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Salar and other |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | May 8, 2019. |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Criminal Court of San Pedro de la Paz |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Alleged misappropriation of funds - controversies originating from contract execution for civil works and electromechanical assembly |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Research stage. |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | THUS$ 436 |  |  |
Lawsuit sixteen [Member] |  |  |  |
Statement [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of plaintiff | Arrigoni Ingeniería y construcción S.A. |  |  |
Lawsuits, name of defendant | SQM Salar |  |  |
Lawsuits, lawsuit filing date | November 21, 2019 |  |  |
Lawsuits, domicile of litigation | Arbitration award in accordance with the arbitration rules established by the CAM |  |  |
Lawsuits, allegations | Request to declare the end of Works Contract No. SC 9500002949, named “Expansion of Lithium Carbonate Plant Phase II” dated April 2, 2018 |  |  |
Lawsuits, litigation status | Discussion stage |  |  |
Lawsuits, nominal value | THUS$ 13,054 |  |  |

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