No New Mining Concessions: Claudia Sheinbaum

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that no new mining concessions will be issued under her administration, reaffirming her commitment to stricter environmental oversight in the mining sector. At her morning conference, Sheinbaum discussed Plan México and agreements with mining companies, while explaining why the previous administration’s proposal to ban all open-pit mining was ultimately withdrawn.

“Two weeks after we took office, I said the initiative had issues because banning all open-pit mining would mean prohibiting, for instance, sand mines for construction or salt mines,” she said, after consulting with former President López Obrador. Sheinbaum stated that had López Obrador’s original constitutional reform been approved, it could have blocked the development of lithium mining, a strategic priority for Mexico’s energy sovereignty.

Sheinbaum stressed that each mining project must be assessed individually based on its environmental impact. In response to questions from the press, Sheinbaum emphasized that no new mining concessions will be granted. While some journalists pointed to extensions of existing projects, she clarified that the permits under review relate only to waste management and environmental mitigation, not new operations.

Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena is leading efforts to resolve legacy pollution issues, particularly around mining tailings. She clarified that mining has not been halted in Mexico, but open-pit mining is under stricter scrutiny due to its global environmental impact.

José Fernando Aboitiz Saro, Head of the Extractive Activities Coordination, Ministry of Economy, acknowledged in an interview that outdated permits and a lack of inter-agency coordination had begun to paralyze the sector. He confirmed that SEMARNAT has recently cleared a significant number of delayed permits. Sheinbaum emphasized that these permits are not for new mining activities but for updating existing operations to reduce environmental damage, such as better tailings and water treatment management.

Sheinbaum concluded that the government will present all mining-related data publicly and will carefully assess whether current or future operations, especially open-pit mining, can proceed with acceptable environmental impact.