[Ligma123]

Good to see countries realize that if they just export raw materials and don't do any industrial processing locally, then they are mere colonies of a foreign power.

Even if the bigger part of the profits travels abroad, if the industrial knowledge stays in the country and also has a network effect on other industries and businesses, then it's a win on it's own.

Specially in this case where I doubt Chile even has the know-how and funds to explore the lithium on their own without foreign help.

[kwere]

setting up a whole industrial value chain from mine to manufacturing & servicing is not guaranteed to succeed in any shape or form, "forcing it" has historically only been pet projects for the hegemons of the time, and a lot still failed, like Soviet computing industry and now (probably) the PRC chip manufacturing (sudsidized with at least like 120 billion$)