Provisions and other non-financial liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Disclosure of other provisions [abstract]

Disclosure of detailed information about provisions [Text Block]

19.1

Types of provisions

	As of December 31, 2020						As of December 31, 2019
Types of provisions	Current		Non-current		Total		Current		Non-current		Total
	ThUS$		ThUS$		ThUS$		ThUS$		ThUS$		ThUS$
Provision for legal complaints (1)		8,905		1,260		10,165		13,472		1,452		14,924
Provision for dismantling, restoration and rehabilitation cost (2)		-		61,265		61,265		-		33,238		33,238
Other provisions (3)		95,261		92		95,353		97,093		-		97,093
Total		104,166		62,617		166,783		110,565		34,690		145,255

(1) These provisions correspond to legal processes that are pending resolution or that have not yet been disbursed, these provisions are mainly related to litigation involving the subsidiaries located in Chile, Brazil and the United States (see note 21.1).

(2) The commitments related to Sernageomin have been incorporated through the issuance of the guarantee for the restoration of the place where the production sites are located.

(3) See Note 19.2

Description of detailed information about other current and noncurrent provision [Text Block]

19.2

Description of other provisions

Current provisions, other short-term provisions	As of December 31, 2020		As of December 31, 2019
	ThUS$		ThUS$
Rent under Lease contract (1)		85,167		90,320
Provision for additional tax related to foreign loans		740		543
End of agreement bonus		8,159		3,641
Directors’ per diem allowance		698		1,802
Miscellaneous provisions		497		787
Total		95,261		97,093

(1) Payment Obligations for the lease contract with CORFO: These correspond to obligations assumed in the Lease Agreement. Our subsidiary SQM Salar holds exclusive rights to exploit the mineral resources in an area covering approximately 140,000 hectares of land in the Salar de Atacama in northern Chile, of which SQM Salar is only entitled to exploit the mineral resources in 81,920 hectares. These rights are owned by Corfo and leased to SQM Salar pursuant to the Lease Agreement. Corfo cannot unilaterally amend the Lease Agreement and the Project Agreement, and the rights to exploit the resources cannot be transferred. The Lease Agreement establishes that SQM Salar is responsible for making quarterly lease payments to Corfo according to specified percentages of the value of production of minerals extracted from the Salar de Atacama brines, maintaining Corfo’s rights over the Mining Exploitation Concessions and making annual payments to the Chilean government for such concession rights. The Lease Agreement was entered into in 1993 and expires on December 31, 2030. On January 17, 2018, SQM and CORFO reached an agreement to end an arbitration process directed by the arbitrator, Mr. Héctor Humeres Noguer, in case 1954-2014 of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of Santiago Chamber of Commerce and other cases related to it.

Disclosure of other current liabilities [text block]

19.3

Other non-financial liabilities, Current

Description of other liabilities	As of December 31, 2020		As of December 31, 2019
	ThUS$		ThUS$
Tax withholdings		1,208		3,345
VAT payable		1,642		3,465
Guarantees received		2,636		2,641
Accrual for dividend		8,027		68,890
Monthly tax provisional payments		8,407		16,659
Deferred income		6,435		3,033
Withholdings from employees and salaries payable		5,017		4,575
Accrued vacations (1)		24,003		21,686
Other current liabilities		3,580		2,605
Total		60,955		126,899

(1) Vacation benefit (short-term benefits to employees, current) is in line with the provisions established in Chile’s Labor Code, which indicates that employees with more than a year of service will be entitled to annual vacation for a period of at least fifteen paid business days. The Company provides the benefit of two additional vacation days.

Disclosure of reconciliation of changes in other provisions [Text Block]

19.4

Changes in provisions

Description of items that gave rise to variations as of December 31, 2020	Legal complaints			Provision for dismantling, restoration and rehabilitation cost			Others provisions			Total
	ThUS$			ThUS$			ThUS$			ThUS$
Total provisions, initial balance		14,924			33,238			97,093			145,255
Changes
Additional provisions		62,922			30,974			60,685			154,581
Provision used		(67,685	)		-			(59,939	)		(127,624	)
Increase(decrease) in foreign currency exchange		4			-			(2,486	)		(2,482	)
Others		-			(2,947	)		-			(2,947	)
Total Increase (decreases)		(4,759	)		28,027			(1,740	)		21,528
Total		10,165			61,265			95,353			166,783

Description of items that gave rise to variations as of December 31, 2019	Legal complaints			Provision for dismantling, restoration and rehabilitation cost		Others provisions			Total
	ThUS$			ThUS$		ThUS$			ThUS$
Total provisions, initial balance		14,862			28,822		94,335			138,019
Changes
Additional provisions		4,111			-		150,314			154,425
Provision used		(4,049	)		-		(147,532	)		(151,581	)
Increase(decrease) in foreign currency exchange		-			-		(24	)		(24	)
Others		-			4,416		-			4,416
Total Increase (decreases)		62			4,416		2,758			7,236
Total		14,924			33,238		97,093			145,255

Description of items that gave rise to variations as of December 31, 2018	Legal complaints			Provision for dismantling, restoration and rehabilitation cost		Others provisions			Total
	ThUS$			ThUS$		ThUS$			ThUS$
Total provisions, initial balance		19,419			26,954		47,073			93,446
Changes
Additional provisions		1,000			1,820		181,244			184,064
Provision used		(5,557	)		-		(133,949	)		(139,506	)
Increase(decrease) in foreign currency exchange		-			-		-			-
Others		-			48		(33	)		15
Total Increase (decreases)		(4,557	)		1,868		47,262			44,573
Total		14,862			28,822		94,335			138,019