Quarterlytics / Basic Materials / Copper / Southern Copper / FY2022 Annual Report

Southern Copper
Annual Report 2022

SCCO · NASDAQ Basic Materials
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FY2022 Annual Report · Southern Copper
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southerncoppercorp.com

TENACITY AND 
CONFIDENCE

 
 
 
 
 
 
Statement 
of responsibility

“To  the  best  of  our  knowledge  this  document  contains  truthful  and  sufficient 

information  regarding  the  development  of  the  business  of  Southern  Copper 

Corporation  (“SCC”)  during  2022.  SCC  takes  responsibility  for  its  contents 

according to applicable requirements”.

Andres Ferrero Ghislieri

Raul Jacob Ruisanchez

General Counsel

Vice-President Finance and 

Chief Financial Officer

CONVERSION  INFORMATION:  All  tonnages  in  this  annual  report  are  metric 

tons  unless  otherwise  noted.  To  convert  to  short  tons,  multiply  by  1.102.  All 

distances are in kilometers, to convert to miles, multiply by 0.62137. All ounces 

are troy ounces. U.S. dollar amounts represent either historical dollar amounts, 

where  appropriate,  or  U.S.  dollar  equivalents  translated  in  accordance  with 

generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. “SCCO”, “SCC”, 

“Southern  Copper”  or  the  “Company”  includes  Southern  Copper  Corporation 

and its consolidated subsidiaries. 

Index

05 

Letter to shareholders

08 

Production statistics 

10 

Copper reserves

11 

Selected and financial data 

12 

Capital investment program and exploration 

               (Expansion & modernization)

17 

Development - community outreach 

44 

Results of operations

For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020

48 

Commitment - Environmental Affairs 

55 

General information 

Description of operations and development regarding 

the issuing entity 

78 

Recursos Humanos

87 

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 
 
 
4  |   5 

Refinery’ copper cathodes, Buenavista 

del Cobre, Sonora, Mexico

5 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS

Letter to
Shareholders

The year 2022 was challenging. The world expected to return 

to  some  semblance  of  stability  but  new  global  conditions 

triggered volatility across economies. 

In  this  context,  Southern  Copper  made  a  solid  show  of  its 

strengths and ability to generate cash flows. With the support 

of  our  workforce,  we  shored  up  our  operations  and  our 

financial position.  

Proof or our ability to bounce back from difficult situations lies 

in  the  fact  that  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2022,  net  sales  were 

up 30.8% YoY. The operating cash cost per pound of copper, 

including bi-product revenues, was 57% lower than the print 

in 2021. 

We  have  worked  arduously  to  overcome  the  impact  of  drop 

of 8.1% in global sales in year-over-year terms. This reduction 

was driven by a decrease in sales volumes of copper (-6.5%), 

silver  (-1.9%)  and  molybdenum  (-13.4%).  Notwithstanding, 

we reported 10.5% growth in the zinc sales volume, which was 

fueled by a 16.2% increase in the price of this metal. Prices for 

molybdenum also rose, up 20% compared to 2021, while fell 

prices for copper and silver fell -5.4% and -13.6% respectively.

Net  profit  in  2022  stood  at  $2,638.5  million,  down  22.3% 

from 2021. The net profit margin in 2022 was 26.3%, versus 

6  |  

7 

31.1% in 2021. Adjusted EBITDA in 2022 was $5,365.3 million, which reflected 

a  decrease  of  21.7%  with  regard  to  the  figure  in  2021.  The  adjusted  EBITDA 

margin in 2022, in turn, was 53.4% vs 62.7% in 2021. 

Overall copper production in 2022 fell 6.6% to 894,703 tons, impacted by the 

stoppage at Cuajone and by a reduction in ore grades.  

Molybdenum production stood at 26,240 tons in 2022, 13.3% below the print 

in  2021.  This  drop  was  driven  by  a  decrease  in  production  at  our  Toquepala 

mine due to lower ore grades. Mined zinc production fell 10.4%, which reflected 

lower  production  at  the  Charcas  and  Santa  Barbara  mines.  Silver  production 

decreased  2.1%  in  2022,  fueled  by  a  decrease  in  production  at  our  Peruvian 

operations and at the La Caridad mine. This reduction was partially offset by an 

uptick in production at our Buenavista and IMMSA mines.

Despite  the  challenges  of  2022,  Southern  Copper  has  maintained  its  current 

capital investment program for the decade, which tops $15 billion and includes 

investments  in  the  Buenavista  Zinc,  Pilares,  El  Pilar  and  El  Arco  projects  in 

Mexico and the Tia Maria, Los Chancas and Michiquillay projects in Peru. This 

program includes diverse investments in infrastructure and contemplates others 

to drive the competitiveness of the El Arco project These initiatives heighten our 

optimism about the Company’s ability to continue delivering attractive results to 

our shareholders in coming years.

7 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS

Buenavista del Cobre open pit,

Sonora, Mexico

Southern  Copper  has  been  consistently  working  to  promote  well-being  of 

population in its areas of influence.  As part of these efforts, we have implemented 

successful social programs in education, health care and productive development 

to improve the quality of life in the countries in which we operate. Depending on 

characteristics of each zone, we also promote agricultural and livestock activities 

and support initiatives in manufacturing, fishing, and tourism, among others.

On behalf of Southern Copper Corporation Board, we express our gratitude to 

all personnel for their uninterrupted effort and dedication, to our customers for 

their repeated displays of trust and loyalty, and to you, our shareholders, for your 

unwavering support.

LIC. GERMAN LARREA 

ING. OSCAR 

MOTA VELASCO

GONZALEZ ROCHA

Chairman of the Board

President and Chief Executive Officer

8  |   9 

 Production statistics

Southern Copper Corporation and Subsidiaries

Five-year Production Statistics

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Mine production 

Mined Material 

toneladas

(thousand)

797,738 

780,689 

656,237 

790,365 

 814,228 

Copper in concentrates

751,628 

825,226 

851,323 

841,452 

 741,488 

Copper SX/EW

Total Copper

Molybdenum in concentrates

Zinc in concentrates

Silver in concentrates

(thousand ounces)

Smelter/refineries production

143,075 

132,974 

150,045 

152,370 

 142,201 

894,703 

958,200 

  1,001,368 

993,822 

 883,689 

26,240 

60,010 

18,562 

30,262 

30,248 

26,885 

 21,985 

66,958 

68,930 

73,922 

 70,778 

18,962 

21,540 

20,273 

 17,308 

Copper

Zinc

Silver

Toquepala

Mined Material

Copper in concentrates

Molybdenum in concentrates

Cuajone

637,489 

 598,569 

 633,801 

 595,173 

 633,630 

(thousand ounces)

99,893 

14,272 

 92,672 

 102,440 

 104,977 

 107,536 

 13,691 

 13,888 

 12,588 

 13,583 

(thousand)

209,745 

203,150 

168,715 

249,083 

 241,514 

 175,055 

 203,624 

 229,116 

 231,673 

 143,720 

 7,681 

 10,642 

 10,019 

 7,277 

 4,159 

Mined Material 

(thousand)

 139,916 

148,302 

 130,047 

 153,911 

 175,177 

Copper in concentrates

Molybdenum in concentrates

Smelter/refineries in Peru

SX/EW

Smelt concentrates

Blister produced

Anode produced

Cathode produced

 140,314 

 168,990 

 168,663 

 156,393 

 160,579 

 3,625 

 4,190 

 4,225 

 3,285 

 3,099 

 26,451 

25,754 

 26,010 

 26,329 

 26,526 

1,241,999 

1,089,193 

 1,210,625

1,075,513  1,187,710 

 2,045 

2,601 

 4,163 

 -   

 2,630 

 350,006 

 308,562 

 345,955 

 317,519 

 344,758 

 289,728 

 260,173 

 286,271 

 256,647 

 292,654 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 -PRODUCTION STATISTICS

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Mexicana de Cobre – Caridad

Mined Material 

(thousand)

106,251 

 100,412 

 93,373 

 94,578 

 96,541 

Copper in concentrates

Molybdenum in concentrates

88,492 

102,689 

109,671 

107,161 

106,087 

9,560 

 10,203 

 10,535 

 10,206 

 9,809 

Buenavista

Mined material 

(thousand)

337,727

324,860

259,860

 288,882 

 297,718 

Copper in concentrates

338,633

142,912

140,888

141,521 

139,157 

Smelter/Refineries in Mexico

SX/EW

Smelt concentrates

Anode produced

Cathode produced

Rod produced

116,624 

107,221 

124,036 

126,041 

 115,675 

 1,051,981 

 1,047,292 

 1,029,486 

 1,011,374 

 1,041,663 

 285,438 

 287,406 

 283,683 

 277,654 

 286,242 

 245,670 

 242,667 

 240,407 

 231,609 

 239,185 

 156,441 

 150,122 

 129,439 

 142,728 

 147,147 

Underground Mines - Contents in concentrates 

Zinc

Lead

Copper in concentrates

Silver

Gold

60,010 

16,590 

9,134 

6,750 

6,428 

 66,958 

 68,930 

 73,922 

 70,778 

 17,104 

 20,358 

 22,567 

 22,081 

 8,719 

 10,302 

 6,589 

 7,662 

 7,983 

 8,734 

 8,265 

 6,943 

 7,647 

 6,221 

 5,649 

 6,423 

(thousand ounces)

(ounces)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10  |  

11 

Toquepala mine, 

Tacna Peru

Copper reserves

We believe we hold the world’s largest position of copper 

reserves.  As  of  December  31,  2022,  our  copper  mineral 

reserves, calculated at a copper price of $3.30 per pound, 

totaled  45,134  million  tons  of  contained  copper,  at  the 

following locations:

Copper contained in ore reserves

Million tons

Mexican open-pit

Peruvian operations

Development projects

Total

15,849

20,542

8,743

45,134

For more information about ore reserves refer to “summary 

disclosure  of  mineral  reserves”,  on  page  36  of  our  2022 

Form 10-K.

 
11 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 -FIVE-YEAR SELECTED FINANCIAL AND STATISTICAL DATA

Five-year selected financial 
and statistical data

Southern Copper Corporation and Subsidiaries

For the years ended December 31

(in millions, except per share amounts, employee data 

and stock and financial ratios)

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Consolidated Statement of Earnings

Net sales

$10,047.9

$10,934.1

$7,984.9

$ 7,285.6

$7,096.7

Operating costs and expenses

Operating income

Net income attributable to 
Non-controlling interest 

5,612.1

4,435.8

4,869.0

4,864.2

  4,532.6

4,215.5

6,065.1

3,120.7

2,753.0

2,881.2

9.5

14.1

7.4

6.1

5.2

Net earnings attributable to SCC

2,638.5

$3,397.1

$1,570.4

 $ 1,485.8

$1,543.0

Per share amount: 

Earnings basic and diluted

Dividends paid

Consolidated Balance Sheet

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Total debt

Total equity

3.41

$3.50

$4.39

$3.20

$2.03

$1.50

$ 1.92

 $ 1.60

$2.00

$1.40

$2,069.7

$3,002.0

$2,183.6

$  1,925.1

$844.6

17,277.4

18,297.6

16,946.5

16,407.4

14,267.8

6,251.2

6,247.9

6,544.2

6,541.0

5,960.1

$8,146.9

$8,207.8

$7,276.0

$  6,858.2

6,612.9

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

Cash provided by operating activities

$2,802.5

$4,292.4

$2,783.6

$1,911.9

$2,235.1

Dividends paid

Capital investments

Depreciation, amortization and depletion

2,705.8

2,473.8

1,159.6

1,236.9

1,082.3

948.5

796.3

   892.3

$806.0

592.2

707.5

1,121.4

$775.6

$764.4

$674.3

Capital Stock

Common shares outstanding – basic and diluted (in 
thousands)

NYSE price – high

NYSE price – low

Book value per share

P/E ratio

Financial Ratios

Current assets to current liabilities

Net debt as % of Net capitalization (1)

Employees (at year end)

773,098

773,087

773,073

773,059

773,044

$78.17

$42.81

10.46

17.69

4.20

32.80%

15,018

$81.53

$56.14

10.54

14.04

2.73

27.1%

14,462

$65.82

$23.53

9.35

32.06

3.50

35.2%

13,777

$43.19

$ 57.34

$23.21

$ 29.78

8.82

22.10

8.50

15.42

2.83

2.61

41.8%

42.6%

14,301

13,899

(1) Represents net debt divided by net debt plus equity. Net debt is defined as total debt minus cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments 

balance.

12  |  13 

Capital Expenditures and Exploration 
Programs 
(Expansion and modernization) 

Capital investments were $948.5 million for 2022. This is 6.3% higher than in 2021 and 

represented  36.2%  of  net  income.  Our  growth  program  to  develop  our  Company’s  full 

production potential is well underway. We are currently developing a new organic growth 

plan, whose goal is to increase our copper volume production to 1.7 million tons by the 

end of this decade.

For  2023,  the  Board  of  Directors  approved  a  capital  investment  program  of  $1,099.6 

million. In general, the capital investments and projects described below are intended to 

increase production, decrease costs or address social and environmental commitments.

Our principal capital programs include the following

MEXICAN PROJECTS: 

Buenavista Zinc, Sonora:  

This project is located within the Buenavista deposit, where a new concentrator is being 

built. This facility has a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes of zinc and 20,000 tonnes 

of  copper  per  year.  We  have  completed  the  engineering  study  and  the  project  has  all 

the  necessary  permits.  When  operating,  this  facility  will  double  the  Company’s  zinc 

production  capacity  and  will  provide  more  than  2,000  operational  jobs.  We  expect  to 

initiate operations in the second half of 2023. As of December 31, 2022, we have invested 

most of the $416 million budget.

Pilares, Sonora:  

Located six kilometers from La Caridad, this project consists of an open-pit mine operation 

with an annual production capacity of 35,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate. This project 

will  significantly  improve  the  overall  mineral  ore  grade  (combining  the  0.78%  expected 

from  Pilares  with  0.29%  from  La  Caridad). The  budget  for  Pilares  is  $159  million,  most 

of which has already been invested. Pilares is currently operating and delivering copper 

mineral  oxides  to  the  SX-EW  facilities  of  the  Caridad  operation.  We  expect  to  produce 

mineral for the Caridad concentrator at full capacity in the second quarter of 2023.

13 

Ecological warehouse at Buenavista del Cobre mine, 

Cananea, Sonora

14  |  

15 

El Pilar, Sonora: 

This  low-capital  intensity  copper  greenfield  project  is  strategically  located  in 

Sonora,  Mexico,  approximately  45  kilometers  from  our  Buenavista  mine.  Its 

copper oxide mineralization contains estimated proven and probable reserves 

of  317  million  tonnes  of  ore  with  an  average  copper  grade  of  0.249%.  We 

anticipate  that  El  Pilar  will  operate  as  a  conventional  open-pit  mine  with  an 

annual production capacity of 36,000 tonnes of copper cathodes. This operation 

will  use  highly  cost  efficient  and  environmentally  friendly  SX-EW  technology. 

The  budget  for  El  Pilar  is  $310  million.  The  results  from  experimental  pads 

in  leaching  process  have  confirmed  adequate  levels  of  copper  recovery.  The 

basic  engineering  study  is  finished  and  the  Company  continues  developing 

the  project  and  engage  in  onsite  environmental  activities.  The  SX-EW  plant 

EPCM  project  has  been  awarded  to  a  contractor  and  has  started. We  expect 

production to begin in 2024 and mine life is estimated at 13 years.

Lime plant - Sonora: 

As  part  of  our  cost  improvement  projects,  we  built  a  new  lime  plant  with  a 

production capacity of 600 metric tonnes per day, which will be the largest lime 

plant of Mexico. This facility will allow us to reduce our current lime cost at our 

Mexican  operations  by  approximately  50%.  The  total  budget  for  the  plant  is 

$65.5 million, of which we had invested $62.6 million as of December 31, 2022. 

The  furnace  of  the  plant  started  operations  in  the  second  quarter  of  2022, 

complying with the performance tests.

15 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 -CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND EXPLORATION PROGRAMS

We are currently developing a new organic 
growth plan, whose goal is to increase our 
copper volume production to 1.7 million tons 
by the end of this decade.

PERUVIAN PROJECTS:

Quebrada Honda dam expansion – Tacna: 

This project aims to enlarge the main and lateral dams in Quebrada Honda and 

includes  the  relocation  and  repowering  of  some  facilities  due  to  dam  growth 

and  installations  of  facilities  for  water  recovery,  among  other  factors.  As  of 

December 31, 2022, the drainage works and removal of Eolic material for the 

main and lateral dam had been completed; complementary operational works 

are underway and are expected to be completed in the first quarter 2023. This 

project has a total budget of $174.4 million, of which we have invested $153.6 

million as of December 31, 2022.

Tia Maria - Arequipa: 

This greenfield project, located in Arequipa, Peru, will use state of the art SX-EW 

technology with the highest international environmental standards to produce 

120,000 tonnes of SX- EW copper cathodes per year. SX-EW facilities are the 

most environmentally friendly in the industry as they do not require a smelting 

process and therefore, do not release any emissions into the atmosphere.

The Company has been consistently working to promote the welfare of the Islay 

province population. As part of these efforts, we have implemented successful 

social  programs  in  education,  healthcare  and  productive  development  to 

improve the quality-of-life in the region. We have also promoted agricultural and 

livestock activities in the Tambo Valley and supported growth in manufacturing, 

fishing and tourism in Islay.

16  |  17 

Refinery cathode at La 

Caridad Sonora, Mexico

We  reiterate  our  view  that  the  initiation  of  construction 

activities  at  Tia  Maria  will  generate  significant  economic 

opportunities  for  the  Islay  province  and  the  Arequipa 

region.  Given  the  current  Peruvian  economic  situation,  it 

is  crucial  to  move  ahead  on  projects  that  will  stimulate  a 

sustainable growth cycle. We will make it a priority to hire 

local labor to fill the 9,000 jobs that we expect to generate 

during  Tia  Maria’s  construction  phase.  Additionally,  from 

day  one  of  our  operations,  we  will  generate  significant 

contributions to revenues in the Arequipa region.

Tia Maria’s project budget is approximately $1.4 billion, of 

which  $329.8  million  had  been  invested  as  of  December 

31, 2022 (Property net book value is $294.4 million). 

17 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (“ESG”)

Environmental, social and
governance (“ESG”)

Responsible  production  is  an  essential  axis  of  our  sustainable  development 

strategy, which is comprised of specific goals and objectives in areas such as water 

management,  climate  change  and  mining  waste,  human  talent,  occupational 

safety and health, labor relations, community development, among others. The 

Company has also updated a range of sustainability-related corporate policies, 

which are publicly disclosed on Grupo Mexico’s website: https://www.gmexico.

com/en/Pages/Politicsds.aspx. These policies, which are applicable to SCC and 

its  subsidiaries,  set  forth  our vision,  commitments,  and  objectives  to  promote 

sustainable  development  and  generate  shared value  for  our  stakeholders.  For 

further  information  on  our  disclosure  on  Human  Capital  Resources,  see  the 

section included in Part I, Item 1 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year 

ended December 31, 2022. 

We  are  committed  to  improving  our  ESG  performance  by  adopting  best 

practices.  Southern  Copper  Corporation  has  consistently  increased  its  scores 

on the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) of S&P Global over the past 

four years  and  achieved  a  score  of  69/100  in  2022.  As  a  result,  the  Company 

has  earned  a  place  in  the  Dow  Jones  Sustainability  Index  MILA  (“Integrated 

Latin-American  Markets”1)  every year  for  the  past  4 years.  SCCO’s  2022  score 

of 69 points is significantly above the average in the Mining and Metals industry, 

and  the  Company  achieved  one  of  the  highest  scores  in  the  industry  for  the 

following 5 indicators: Political Influence, Environmental Reporting, Operational 

Ecoefficiencies,  Social  Reporting,  and  Corporate  Citizenship  and  Philanthropy. 

This result was thanks to the good ratings we obtained for shared values, business 

ethics, cybersecurity, environmental and social reporting, among others.

1  Comprised by the Pacific Alliance: Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia.

18  |  19 

 Human rights

At Southern Peru, we are committed to enforcing the United Nations Guiding 

Principles  on  Business  and  Human  Rights.  We  have  a  series  of  policies  and 

procedures  that  serve  as  a  guide  to  all  employees  and  suppliers:  General 

Human Rights Policy; Policy of Respect for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 

and Communities; Diversity, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination, No Workplace 

or  Sexual  Harassment  Policy;  and  the  Code  of  Conduct  for  Suppliers, 

Contractors and Relevant Business Partners, which includes several sections 

related to human rights. 

The  company  has  a  human  rights’  due  diligence  process  in  place  to  identify, 

prevent,  mitigate  or  remediate  adverse  impacts  on  the  human  rights  of 

communities.  In  the  Mining  and  Infrastructure  divisions,  it  has  three  main 

components:

1.  Participatory  Social  Diagnosis  to  allow  the  communities  to  voice  their 

concerns regarding human rights,

2.  Social  Management  Plans  that  define  actions  to  address  those  concerns, 

and, 

3.  The  Community  Care  Service  (SAC),  a  tool  that  was  designed  with  the 

advice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mexico 

Office and allows the community to immediately communicate its concerns 

to the Company.

The Company also has a human rights’ due diligence process in place to protect 

the  rights  of  employees  (both  the  Company’s  and  those  of  contractors).  The 

work climate surveys, Complaint Hotline and the due diligence of suppliers are 

tools  that  enable  the  company  to  comply  with  the  commitments  included  in 

the  General  Human  Rights  Policy.  We  are  currently  implementing  a  Diversity 

and  Inclusion  Strategic  Plan,  which  focuses  primarily  on  training;  revision  of 

recruitment processes; and physical changes to working areas.

19 

Workers at Cuajone 

Mine - Moquegua, Peru

20  |  21 

Worker in Toquepala 

mine - Tacna, Peru

21 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (“ESG”)

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

Our vision on DEI is to ensure that our people always feel included, welcomed 

and  valued  for  their  personal  and  professional  contributions.  This  vision  is 

based on our core values of respect, honesty and responsibility.

Consistent with our Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy, our goal is to 

(i) build an organizational culture of total equality and well-being with a focus 

on  diversity,  inclusion  and  non-discrimination,  (ii)  increase  the  sensitivity, 

knowledge  and  skills  of  our  leaders  and  employees  to  assemble  diverse  and 

inclusive teams and promote a culture of respect, and (iii) extend this culture to 

the communities in which we operate. 

Based  on  the  results  of  a  DEI  survey  in  Mexico  and  Peru,  we  aligned  our 

diversity and inclusion Strategic Plan with six strategic initiatives to create Key 

Performance Indicators and increase women’s participation in the organization 

by  2%;  strengthen  our  human  resource  policies  for  inclusion;  consolidate 

commitment  at  the  executive  level;  and  implement  continuous  training  and 

communication campaigns at all levels of the organization.

In 2022, we disclosed our DEI Corporate Policy, originally issued in 2021, and 

trained our total workforce on DEI fundamental principles through the Training 

Program “Towards an Inclusive Grupo Mexico”. We are committed to inclusion 

and  to  honoring  our  diversity.  We  increased  our  female  workforce  from  944 

to  over  1,090,  which  represents  an  increase  of  15%  in  our  female  headcount 

year-over-year. Additionally, 30% of our female workforce hold a STEM position 

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).

We  now  have  a  better  understanding  of  our  diversity  distribution,  which 

we  believe  allows  us  to  design  efforts  for  each  group  and  advance  towards 

inclusion.

22  |  23 

Code of Ethics

We certify our employees’s knowledge and commitment to our Code of Ethics 

on a yearly basis. Every employee, including new hires, signs a commitment to 

observe  the  rules  laid  out  in  our  main  document  and  guidance  tool  for  legal, 

professional and ethical obligations for our business dealings and interpersonal 

relationships.

23 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

Community outreach

We have implemented several sustainable development policies to integrate the 

Company´s operations with local communities in our areas of influence. Some 

of the relevant policies include the General Policy for Sustainable Development; 

a  Community  Outreach  Policy;  a  General  Policy  of  Respect  for  the  Rights  of 

Indigenous  Peoples  and  Communities,  a  Human  Rights  Policy  Statement. 

These policies are disclosed publicly on Grupo Mexico’s website and fully apply 

to Southern Copper Corporation.

These  policies  focus  on  creating  permanent  and  positive  relationships  to 

generate optimal social conditions and promote sustainable development in the 

area. We continue to make significant expenditures for community programs. 

For  additional  information  on  our  community  programs,  refer  to  Corporate 

Social Responsibility under Note 13 “Commitments and contingencies” to the 

consolidated financial statements reported on Form 10-K, 2022.

In 2022, in Mexico we obtained recognition as an Exceptional Company from 

the Business Coordinating Council of the Institute for the Promotion of Quality 

and  the  Communication  Council,  which  recognizes  companies  that  carry  out 

successful practices. In the case of Grupo Mexico, the following practices and 

programs were recognized: Community Development Model, Community Care 

Service, Youth Orchestras and Choirs, Traveling Documentary Film Workshop 

and Casa Grande Movil.

Additionally,  the  Business  Coordinating  Council  (CCE)  and  the  Mexican 

Association  of  Organizational  Communicators  (AMCO)  recognized  the  social 

impact  generated  by  the  Traveling  Documentary  Film  Workshop  (TACD)  that 

the Company promotes in the communities in which it operates. Through this 

program, young and adults’ people have the opportunity to create audiovisual 

materials  with  themes  and  characters  from  their  own  localities  to  strenghten 

ties between mining and communities. Since this program began, 547 students 

have developed 173 productions, some of which were presented at the Cineteca 

Nacional de Mexico.

24  |  25 

Operations and Mining Projects in Peru were certified in ISO 9001:2015 Quality 

Management System for Community Development in 2022.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL   

SCC seeks to improve the quality of life in the communities around its operations 

by engaging in responsible management. SCC has developed a model where 

people are agents of their own development.

Our  Community  Development  Model  approaches  developing  relationships 

with communities through three specific components: 

Good 
Neigbors

Economic 
Development

Human 
Development

Ensuring that the operations 
coexist in a positive and healthy 
manner in the places where we 
operate.

Sharing the wealth generated by 
the operations with the  
community by creating or 
regenerating the social fabric 
and strengthening the same to 
consequently increase 
economic value.

Strengthen the capacities the 
members of the communities in 
which we operate; these 
individuals are the main drivers 
of development at the personal, 
family and environmental levels.  

 
25 

We promote an approach

based in co-responsibility

26  |  27 

We generate a positive and healthy 

coexistence with our neighbors

27 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
INFORME ANUAL 2022 . DIVISION MINERIA

Good Neigbors 

To  generate  positive  relations  with  neighboring  communities,  we  maintain 

constant communication.  

Economic Development 

Through  training  and  skill-building  programs,  as  well  as  investments  in 

infrastructure,  we  contribute  to  strengthening  the  productive  and  economic 

capacities of communities. 

Human Development 

To  generate  trust  relationships  and  co-responsibility  with  communities,  our 

Casa  Grande  model  rolls  out  programs  at  community  centers;  these  efforts 

focus on education, health, culture and the environment.

This model is known as “Casa Grande”, and it has been implemented through 

the following tools: 

•  32  Community  Development  Centers  (17  in  Mexico  and,  15  in  Peru)  - 

These are Open Houses for communities that offer courses and workshops 

to  promote  development  through  programs  and  projects  that  focus  on 

education, health, culture and environmental protection. 

•  Participatory  Diagnostics  -  The  community  and  SCC  work  together  on 

Human  Development  initiatives.  Through  a  community  diagnostic,  we 

identify needs and expectations that are subsequently satisfied through the 

Casa Grande model. 

•  Community  Committees  -  Led  by  volunteers  from  the  community  and 

Company employees, who collaborate to assess proposals for sustainable 

projects. 

•  Seed Capital - We call on communities to present their own initiatives. SCC’s 

primary axes are education and the environment, which are complemented 

by initiatives relative to health, safety and productivity.  

 
28  |  29 

Pig farmer, winner of Seed Capital,

one of our social programs,

Ilabaya, Tacna, Peru

Children from La Encañada, a district close 

to our Michiquillay project - Cajamarca, Peru

29 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

Children and young people are our priority, and we strive to ensure a 

better future for new generations. Community projects are assessed 

by committees that are comprised of both SCC employees and local 

personalities  and  the  focus  is  on  promoting  dialogue  and  citizen 

participation. 

•  Productive  Projects  -  Projects  that  transform  community 

lives  by  generating  productive  skills.  Our  team  of  experts  uses 

this  model  to  materialize  the  Company’s  initiatives  with  the 

participation of SCC volunteers and the community. Community 

centers  are  used  to  hold  these  meetings  to  generate  shared 

value. 

SCC’s  social  team  and  volunteers  from  neighboring  communities, 

an  important  number  of  projects  were  developed.  In  2022,  we 

conducted  7,173  activities,  180  programs  and  projects  with  152 

community  and  corporate  volunteers.  Through  our  Seed  Capital 

and productive projects, we helped create development generators 

and  promoted  the  participation  of  proactive  leaders  who  work  to 

enhance the well-being of their communities.  

EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP   

Another  way  of  contributing  to  people’s  development 

is  by 

providing  training  and  education  opportunities  to  children  and 

young  people  in  neighboring  communities  at  the  elementary, 

secondary, vocational or university levels. At our mining operations 

in Mexico and Peru, we contribute to community education through 

11  schools  that  are  sponsored  by  the  Company  and  which  offer 

scholarships  to  employees  and  their  families  for  different  levels 

of  study.  These  company-sponsored  schools  are  home  to  3,542 

students  from  the  preschool  to  high  school  levels.  Most  students 

are  children  of  employees  or  of  community  members.  In  addition, 

we have complemented school subjects with programs for students 

and parents.

 
30  |  30 

We  continue  our  efforts  to  promote  and  implement  the  job 

training  program  Forjando  Futuro  (“Forging  the  Future”). 

This program was created to train employees needed to the 

Company’s operations and to strengthen the vocational skills 

of residents in the Company’s areas of influence in Peru. This 

program was replicated in Mexico in 2021. In 2022, more than 

671  people  from  communities  were  trained  at  our  mining-

metallurgical  operations;  36%  of  these 

individuals  were 

women.

Infrastructure and Services 

In  Peru,  our  mining  operations  are  located  in  a  remote  rural 

area  in  the  south  of  the  country.  In  close  cooperation  with 

authorities and representative organizations from the region, 

we contribute to the development program. Our commitment 

to  the  community 

is 

in  the  following  areas:  education, 

reinforcing  capabilities,  health,  nutrition,  infrastructure,  and 

support to agricultural sector.

SCC  contributes  to  the  provinces  in  which  it  operates  by 

expanding  water  infrastructure  for  irrigation  programs.  In 

2022,  we  invested  more  than  $2.2  million  in  projects  to 

optimize  the  use  of  water  in  agricultural  activities  in  Peru 

through Social Investment for Taxes law. Recently completed 

projects  include  sanitation  infrastructure  for  a  rural  drinking 

water and sanitation system in the district of Torata,  which built 

a  7.9  km-conduction  line;  a  9.3  km-adduction  line;  a  15  m3-

reservoir; 139 household connections; and 137 biodigesters 

for  520  beneficiaries  Pre-feasibility  studies  were  also 

completed  for  Ilo’s  sewage  pumping  chamber  improvement 

project  and  covered  aspects  relative  to  relocation,  electrical 

equipment, and construction of 05 pumping chambers. This 

project is complementary and will be connected to the new Ilo 

PTAR (for its acronym in Spanish) that is under construction.

30 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

SOCIAL INVESTMENT   

In 2022, SCC invested more than $ 72.1 million in social development programs 

related to education, health, productive projects, infrastructure and services. 

Investiment and Social Expenses

$USD (millions)

Community development programs, social linking and productive projects

Operating expenses in schools SCC

Operating expenses in camps SCC

Infrastructure and equipment in neighboring communities

Infrastructure in schools SCC

Infrastructure in camps SCC

Donations

Total

8.2

6.2

13.8

40.9

0.9

0.3

1.8

72.1

Southern  Copper  Corporation’s  business  model  is  focused  on  continuously 

improving  the  lives  of  the  residents  of  the  communities  in  which  we  operate 

by encouraging them to participate in efforts to enhance society’s wellbeing by 

identifying local leaders who operate as agents for development. 

Our environmental commitment  

Southern Copper’s mining operations are aligned with the best practices in the 

sector to ensure that our environmental impacts are minimal and preserve the 

environment.  We  operate  in  alignment  with  our  environmental  management 

system:

1.  Plan,  design,  build  and  operate  our  facilities  with  a  preventive  approach 

throughout their life cycle.

2.  Reduce  the  risks  and  damage  that  our  activities  may  imply  for  the 

environment.  

3. 

Improve  our  environmental  performance  by  going  beyond  environmental 

compliance. 

4.  Reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to an environment resilient to 

climate change.

 
 
32  |  33 

Workers at Ilo  

smelter - Moquegua, Peru

33 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

5.  Conserve  water  by  using  efficient  processes  during  production  while 

contributing  to  ensuring  that  water  is  available  in  the  basins  near  our 

operating areas.

6.  Promote the efficient use of energy.

7.  Contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and the environment, which 

generates ecosystems with a positive impact.

8.  SCC  adds  value  to  its  customers,  suppliers,  society  and  the  environment 

through all of our activities. 

The  aforementioned  actions  implied  an  investment  of  US$150  million  in 

2022. Actions were conducted within the framework of local and international 

certifications obtained by our operating units in the two countries in which we 

are  present.  Fourteen  (14)  of  SCC’s  systems  have  obtained  ISO  14001:2015 

certification  for  environmental  management  systems,  which  attests  to  the 

commitment  of  our  employees  and  the  effectiveness  of  the  transversal 

application of environmental practices. 

Additionally,  Southern  Copper  Corporation 

is  commited  to  aligning 

its 

operations with The Copper Mark, which promotes responsible production in 

the copper industry and also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development 

Goals. In 2022, La Caridad open pit mine and Metallurgical Complex in Sonora, 

Mexico  (smelter  and  refinery)  obtained  The  Copper  Mark  certificate.  These 

operations also obtained The Molybdenum Mark and The Zinc Mark certificates 

respectively. Our goal in the near future is demonstrate to customers, investors, 

communities  and  other  stakeholders  that  the  copper  we  produce  meets  the 

environmental, social and governance criteria of Copper Mark (32 in total) and 

that compliance has been verified by an independent auditor.

34  |  35 

Climate change

Southern  Copper  Corporation  is  committed  to  preserving  the  environment, 

minimizing  the  carbon  footprint  of  our  operations,  and  efficiently  managing 

climate-related  risks  and  opportunities.  Our  approach  seeks  continuous 

improvement  in  the  responsible  use  of  natural  resources,  complying  with 

strict  applicable  legal  standards  for  the  prevention,  mitigation,  control  and 

remediation of environmental impacts.

Everyone  is  responsible  for  stemming  climate  change,  including  the  private 

sector. Climate change may impact our operations; as such, we have identified 

potential risks linked to global temperature change to anticipate any situation 

that may be adverse for the Company. 

We  recognize  that  climate  change  will  likely  influence  our  strategy  in  various 

ways,  and  we  aim  to  meet  the  expectations  of  global  business  trends,  which 

are  moving  toward  demanding  products  with  lower  carbon  footprints.  SCC 

recognizes  importance  and  urgency  of  addressing  climate  change.  In  2022, 

we updated our climate change strategy, and recently Grupo Mexico issued a 

Policy,  along  with  a  road  map  to  reduce  greenhouse  emissions  effect  in  the 

short, medium, and long term.

Since 2006, Grupo Mexico, our indirect parent company, has generated annual 

reports  on  SCC’s  performance  with  regard  to  the  Global  Reporting  Initiative 

Standards  (GRI).  As  of  2020,  the  Group’s  sustainability  reports  also  include 

the metrics of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the 

recommendations  of  the  Task  Force  on  Climate-Related  Financial  Disclosure 

(TCFD).

Information  concerning  SCC 

is 

included 

in  Grupo  Mexico’s  Sustainable 

Development Report. Since 2016, Grupo Mexico has participated in the annual 

35 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

assessment of Climate Change of CDP (formerly known as Carbon Disclosure 

Project). In 2021, its score improved two levels from 5th C to 3rd B and in 2022, 

maintained the last level recorded. This score is superior to the regional average 

in North America (“C”) and superior to the global average for smelting, refining 

and production of metals (“C”).

The Company is committed to continuously improving its management of the 

aforementioned issues. Accordingly, it has initiated a multi-year process to align 

its disclosure on climate change for all its operations in Mexico and Peru with the 

TCFD recommendations. As of 2020, Grupo Mexico’s Sustainable Development 

Report  includes  sections  on  climate-related  risks  and  opportunities,  as  well 

as  more  detailed  information  on  climate  targets,  strategy  and  governance 

mechanisms. Further details are available in the report, which can be accessed 

at https://www.gmexico. com/en/Pages/development.aspx.

We  refer  our  investors  to  our  parent  company’s  website  for  details  on  the 

aforementioned initiatives. Said details are for informational purposes only. We 

do  not  claim  that  this  Internet  link  is  active  or  that  the  contents  of  the  report 

uploaded to this website are the same as those reported on Form 10-K. 

Climate change represents challenges to SCC. We are working on:

•  Providing products and services in ways aligned with the transition to low-

carbon economies.

•  Reducing the organization’s carbon footprint. 

• 

Increasing  resilience  to  climate  change  effects  at  our  operations  and  in 

surrounding communities.

•  Ensuring management is aligned with the best international practices.

36  |  37 

We  are  diversifying  our  energy  supply  sources  to  contemplate  clean  and 

renewable  generation.  Our  operations  in  Mexico  mitigate  a  portion  on  their 

greenhouse emissions by utilizing electricity from clean energy sources, which 

are  generated  through  high-efficiency,  combined-cycle  power  plants  and  a 

wind farm.

Additionally,  we  take  advantage  of  smelter  emissions  and  recovery  boilers  to 

generate  energy.  In  Peru,  63%  of  the  electricity  consumed  is  generated  by 

hydroelectric and renewable sources. 

By  implementing  efficient  energy  projects,  as  well  a  using  cleaner  fuels  and 

renewable energy, we mitigated scope 1 and 2 emission in 2022 for a total of 

840,000 tons of CO2. 

In addition to generating and consuming energy from renewable sources and 

cleaner fuels, we also implement best practices to boost the energy efficiency of 

our operations by improving, redesigning, converting and adapting equipment; 

rationally using resources; and improving staff training. 

Climate-related transition risks:

SCC  recognizes  that  climate  change  has  the  potential  to  generate  transition 

risks  for  the  Company  associated  with,  for  instance,  technological  and  other 

operational  changes;  changing  market  trends;  or  credit  risks.  Based  on  its 

assessment, SCC does not believe at this time that said risks have had or will 

have a material impact on its business, financial condition or results of operation. 

The  impacts  of  climate  change  policy  and  regulatory  changes  in  Mexico  and 

Peru are described below.

Mexican Operations: Several taxes are applicable to SCC’s mining operations 

in Mexico, including federal and state fossil fuel taxes and taxable obligations 

under  Mexico’s  emission  trading  scheme.  These  taxes  range  from  US$2.5/

tCO2  to  US$12.5/tCO2  (approximately)  and  entail  regional  taxes  applicable  in 
the  States  of  Baja  California  and  Zacatecas  as  well  as  a  federal  tax  linked  to 

37 

Operations in open pit mine 

La Caridad - Sonora Mexico  

38  |  39 

400 Tons truck in 

La Caridad mine - Sonora, Mexico

Mexico’s carbon market system. The requirements associated with this scheme 

are  currently  applicable  to  only  two  business  units,  the  metallurgic  and  lime 

plants located in Sonora, which generate annual GHG emissions levels above 

the threshold of 100,000 tCO2e per year contemplated by the scheme. These 
business units are required to report and verify their emissions once a year if 

their average costs run less than $6,000 per each unit. 

SCC units located in Mexico that emit more than 25,000 tons of CO2 equivalent 
per year (all our units except the Guaymas Terminal and the Taxco underground 

mine)  must  report  their  emissions  to  the  National  Emissions  Registry  (RENE) 

each  year  and  verify  emissions  reported  every  three  years.  Our  total  annual 

compliance  costs  related  to  climate  change  regulations  in  Mexico  were  less 

than  $30,000  for  each  of  the  three  years  ended  December  31,  2022;  this 

amount had no material impact on the Company.

Peruvian  Operations:  On  April  17,  2018,  the  Peruvian  government  enacted 

Law  No.  30754,  which  establishes  a  Climate  Change  Framework.  Through 

this  law,  it  is  declared  of  national  interest  to  promote  public  and  private 

investments in the management of climate change. The law proposes creating 

an institutional framework to address climate change in Peru and outlines new 

measures, particularly with regard to climate change mitigation. For example, 

it includes provisions relating to: increasing carbon sequestration and the use 

of carbon sinks; afforestation and reforestation practices; changes in land use; 

39 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

and sustainable transportation systems, solid waste management, and energy 

systems. This  is  the  first  climate  change  framework  law  in  Latin  America  that 

incorporates obligations of the Paris Agreement. The Regulation of this law was 

enacted by Supreme Decree 013-2019, which was published on December 31, 

2019, and is applicable to all Peruvian institutions and organizations. Peruvian 

regulations  are  expected  to  be  extended  to  non-governmental  entities  in  the 

future. 

For  the  Company’s  operations  in  Peru,  there  are  no  mechanisms  in  place  for 

carbon pricing; this seems unlikely to change before 2025, when the country is 

due to review its NDCs (nationally determined contributions) according to the 

Paris Climate Agreement. 

The  Company  recognizes  that  national  or  global  greenhouse  gas  emission 

reduction  goals  have  an  impact  on  the  business.  Climate-related  changes  in 

market trends may include a lower demand for goods that produce significant 

greenhouse gas emissions or those derived from carbon-based energy sources 

and an increase demand for goods that generate lower emissions. Additionally, 

there  will  be  greater  demand  for  goods  that  have  a  lower  carbon  footprint  or 

for  materials  that  help  reduce  emissions  from  the  point  of  origination.  Large 

copper  consumers  will  more  than  likely  increasingly  seek  to  acquire  low  or 

zero-emission products to achieve their own GHG emission reduction targets. 

Adapting  to  this  trend  inadequately  or  with  insufficient  speed  might  result 

in  reputational  risks  or  loss  of  market  opportunities  for  SCC.  Based  on  these 

assessments, the Company does not believe that these impacts have been or 

are material at this time.

The  Company  will  continue  evaluating  how  climate-related  risks  could  affect 

its  financial  interests  and  will  define  appropriate  mitigation  and  adaptation 

responses  as  necessary.  The  Company  will  also  continue  to  evaluate  how 

variations  in  global  and  national  GHG  emissions  may  increase  the  regulatory 

burden  as  well  as  the  demand  for  low-carbon  or  carbon-free  products  from 

customers,  investors,  and  stakeholders  in  general.  Recently,  investors  have 

been asking the Company to disclose its GHG emission reduction goals, aligned 

with  the  Paris  Agreement  to  limit  global  temperature  rise  to  below  2  degrees 

Celsius. The Company is currently defining these targets, and aims to publicly 

disclose the same in forthcoming reporting. 

40  |  41 

CLIMATE-RELATED OPPORTUNITIES

In accordance with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, global 

GHG emissions reductions must be achieved to contain global warming below 

1.5  degrees  Celsius,  above  the  pre-industrial  average  temperature.  Copper 

is a critical component for many technologies required for transition to low-

carbon economies, including wind and solar photovoltaic power generation, 

electric  vehicles,  power  grids,  and  more.  Consequently,  the  demand  for 

copper is expected to increase significantly, which could boost copper prices 

and positively impact the Company. 

Additionally, we believe that the cost of renewable electricity generation will 

become increasingly competitive with the costs of conventional power plants, 

offering an opportunity to reduce both operating costs and GHG emissions.

As  one  of  the  world’s  largest  copper  producers,  we  believe  that  the 

implications of climate change could benefit SCC’s reputation as stakeholders 

increasingly  recognize  the  vital  role  that  copper  plays  in  helping  societies 

migrate to low carbon economies. However, we realize that this is conditional 

upon the Company’s commitment to help achieve the objectives of the Paris 

Agreement  and  its  ability  to  demonstrate  clear  and  sustained  progress  in 

decarbonizing its operations as required by said agreement. 

SCC 

is  a  sustainable  company. 

It  constantly  strives  to 

increase 

its 

competitiveness  while  contributing  to  a  low-carbon  economy  and  reducing 

its carbon footprint. 

41 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

Biodiversity

Southern  Copper  Corporation 

implements  actions  to  generate 

positive  impacts,  reaffirming  its  commitment  to  the  environment 

and  biodiversity  and  in  accordance  with  its  Environmental  Policy. 

Our  biodiversity  plans  are  aligned  with  the  guide  of  Good  Practices 

for  Mining  and  Biodiversity  published  by  the  International  Council  of 

Mining and Metals (ICMM). The Company is implementing mitigation 

measures, contributing to environmental preservation. 

SCC  is  the  largest  tree  producer  in  the  mining  industry  in  Mexico.  In 

2022, to contribute to reforestation and rehabilitate areas inside and 

outside of our operating areas, we planted 5.8 million trees that were 

grown in 6 forest nurseries and greenhouses. 

As part of our effort to conserve biodiversity, we have an 89-hectare 

Environmental Management Unit (UMA), which has been conditioned 

to replicate -through enclosures- threatened and endangered species 

such as the Mexican Gray Wolf and Gould’s Turkey and other. 

SCC’s  UMA  in  Mexico  is  located  in  a  strategic  area  to  boost  Mexican 

Gray  Wolf  reproduction.  Since  2013,  SCC  has  been  part  of  the  US-

Mexico  Binational  Program  to  Recover  the  Mexican  Gray  Wolf.  UMA 

Buenavista del Cobre has release 59 wolves into the wild, 23 of which 

were born at UMA. Approximately 50 per cent of the wolves released 

into the wild in Mexico were raised at UMA Buenaventura del Cobre.

42  |  43 

Blue Heron, Ite 

wetlands - Tacna, Peru

43 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
INFORME ANUAL 2022 . DIVISION TRANSPORTES

Our  recovery  program  in  Ite  Bay  (Tacna,  Peru)  secured 

1,600  hectares  of  wetland,  which  is  home  to  a  variety 

of  waterfowl  life.  This  area  has  become  a  new  tourist 

attraction.

Water care

SCC has developed projects to guarantee the sustainability 

of water resources. Our operations reuse our water as well 

as  resources  discharged  by  third  parties.  At  some  of  our 

units, we utilize municipal wastewater, which we treat prior 

to use. At our operations in San Luis Potosi and Cananea 

(Mexico),  we  provide  freshwater  to  the  local  population. 

SCC  has  implemented  modern  pumping  systems  and 

thickeners  to  recover  water  from  tailings  and  also  utilizes 

closed  circuits  to  recirculate  water.  In  2021,  74.5%  of 

water  consumption  was  recovered,  which  reflects  good 

management. 

In 2021, SCC invested in infrastructure and technology to 

reuse  water.  Effort  focused  on  optimizing  closed  circuits 

and installing thickeners and high-efficiency tailings filters.  

In 2022, more than 74% of the total water consumed at our 

mining operations was recovered water.

44  |  45 

Results 
of operations

Years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Our  net  income  attributable  to  SCC  in  2022  was  $2,638.5  million,  compared 

to  $3,397.1  million  in  2021  and  $1,570.4  million  in  2020.  SCC’s  net  income 

attributable to SCC decreased 22.3%, which was mainly driven by an uptick in 

costs of sales and by a reduction in sales volumes. 

The Company presents its operating cash costs with and without the revenues 

of its by-products (molybdenum, silver, sulfuric acid, etc.). It excludes the cost 

of  purchases  of  third-party  metal,  depreciation,  amortization  and  depletion, 

exploration,  provisions  for  employee  profit  sharing,  other  non-recurring  items 

and royalty charges from its operating cash cost calculation.

The Company’s operating cash cost per pound of copper produced, as previously 

defined, for the three years ended December 31, is as follows:

 (dollar per pound)

2022

2021

2020

Operating Cash Cost before by-product revenues

 2.02 

1.64 

 1.37 

Operating Cash Cost net of by-product revenues

 0.78 

0.67 

0.69 

As seen in the table above, our per pound cash cost before by-product revenues 

in  2022  was  22.8%  higher  when  compared  with  2021. This  result  was  mainly 

attributable  to  an  increase  in  production  costs  and  to  the  unit  cost  effect 

generated by a decrease in pounds of copper produced (-7.2%). 

 
45 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
INFORME ANUAL 2022 . DIVISION TRANSPORTES

Ingots in Zinc Plant, San 

Luis Potosi, Mexico

Worker in spreader, 

Buenavista del Cobre, Sonora, Mexico

Net Sales: 

2022-2021: Net sales in 2022 were $10,047.9, compared to $10,934.1 million in 2021, 

which represented a decrease of $886.2 million. This 8.1% reduction was driven primarily 

by a decrease in sales volume for copper (-6.5%), silver (-1.9%) and molybdenum (-13.4%) 

due to a lower production, and secondarily by a drop in prices for copper (-5.4%) and 

silver (-13.6%). The aforementioned was partially offset by an increase in sales volume 

for zinc (+10.5%) and by an uptick in prices for molybdenum (+20.0%) and zinc (+16.2%).

46  |  47 

2021-2020: Net sales in 2021 were $10,934.1 million, the highest in our history, 

compared to $7,984.9 million in 2020. This growth represented a YoY increase 

of  $2,949.2  million,  or  36.9%,  and  was  primarily  driven  by  growth  in  copper 

(+51.1% - LME), molybdenum (+81.0%), silver (22.1%) and zinc (+32.0%) prices. 

This effect was partially offset by lower copper (-11.0%), silver (-14.1%) and zinc 

(-12.6%) sales volumes.

Prices: 

The profitability of our operations is dependent on, and our financial performance 

is significantly affected by, the international market prices for the products we 

produce, and for copper, molybdenum, zinc and silver in particular. Sales prices 

for the Company’s metals are mainly pegged to the prices quoted on the London 

Metal  Exchange  (LME)  and  The  New  York  Commodity  Exchange  (COMEX)  or 

to those published in the Platt’s Metals Week for dealer oxide mean prices for 

Ventas 2022 
US$2,713

molybdenum.

Price/Volume Data

Average metal prices

Copper

Copper 

(per pound - LME)

(per pound - COMEX)

Molybdenum

(per pound)

2022

2021

2020

$4.00

$4.01

$18.61

$1.58

$21.76

$4.23

$4.24

$15.51

$1.36

$2.80

$2.80

$8.57

$1.03

$25.18

$20.62

Agricola

Zinc

Silver
Intermodal

(per pound - COMEX)

(per ounce - COMEX)

Minerales

Industriales

Energia

SALES VOLUME (in million pounds, except silver – 
million ounces)

Copper 

14%

Molybdenum  (1)

12%

8%

Zinc 

Silver 

1,920.4

57.9

223.0

18.8

8%

2,052.9

66.8

201.9

19.2

2,305.9

66.7

230.9

22.4

Quimicos

Automotriz
(1) The Company´s molybdenum production is sold as concentrates. Volume represents pounds of molybdenum 

Cemento

Metales

Otros

contained in concentrates.

47 

48  |  49 

Commitment - 
environmental affairs

Environmental matters 

The  Company  has  established  comprehensive  environmental  conservation 

programs at its mining facilities in Peru and Mexico. The Company’s environmental 

programs include water recovery systems to conserve water and minimize the 

impact on nearby streams, reforestation programs to stabilize the surface of the 

tailings dams and the implementation of scrubbing technology in the mines to 

reduce dust emissions, among others.

Environmental  capital  investments  in  years  2022,  2021  and  2020,  were  as 

follows (in millions):

Mexican operation

Peruvian operation 

Total

2022

$52.7

$   8.7

$61.4

2021

$62.3

$  6.4

$68.7

2020

$41.1

$(3.3) 

$37.8

MEXICAN OPERATIONS 

The Company’s operations are subject to applicable Mexican federal, state and 

municipal environmental laws, to Mexican official standards, and to regulations 

for  the  protection  of  the  environment,  including  regulations  relating  to  water 

supply, water quality, air quality, noise levels and hazardous and solid waste.

The  principal  legislation  applicable  to  the  Company’s  Mexican  operations  is 

the  Federal  General  Law  of  Ecological  Balance  and  Environmental  Protection 

(the “General Law”), which is enforced by the Federal Bureau of Environmental 

Protection  (“PROFEPA”).  PROFEPA  monitors  compliance  with  environmental 

legislation  and  enforces  Mexican  environmental  laws,  regulations  and  official 

standards. It may also initiate administrative proceedings against companies that 

49 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMITMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

Environmental Management Unit, 

Sonora, Mexico

violate environmental laws, which in the most extreme cases may result in the 

temporary or permanent shutdown of non-complying facilities, the revocation of 

operating licenses and/or other sanctions or fines. 

In  2011,  the  General  Law  was  amended  to  provide  an  individual  or  entity  the 

ability  to  contest  administrative  acts,  including  environmental  authorizations, 

permits  or  concessions  granted,  without  the  need  to  demonstrate  the  actual 

existence  of  harm  to  the  environment  as  long  as  it  can  be  argued  that  harm 

may be caused. Additionally, amendments to the Civil Federal Procedures Code 

(“CFPC”)  were  enacted  in  2011  and  established  three  categories  of  collective 

actions  under  which  a  group  of  30  or  more  individuals  can  be  considered 

sufficient to prove a “legitimate interest” to file civil actions for injuries arising out 

of alleged violations of environmental, consumer protection, financial services 

and  economic  competition  laws.  The  group  can  seek  restitution  or  economic 

compensation  for  the  alleged  injuries  or  suspension  of  the  activities  which 

allegedly  caused  the  injuries  in  question.  The  amendments  to  the  CFPC  may 

result in more litigation, with plaintiffs seeking remedies, including suspension 

of the activities alleged to cause harm.

In 2013, the Environmental Liability Federal Law was enacted. The law establishes 

general  guidelines  for  actions  to  be  considered  to  likely  cause  environmental 

harm. If a possible determination regarding harm occurs, environmental clean-

50  |  51 

up  and  remedial  actions  sufficient  to  restore  environment 

to a pre-existing condition should be taken. If restoration is 

not possible, compensation measures should be provided. 

Criminal  penalties  and  monetary  fines  can  be  imposed 

under this law.

In  February  2019,  the  Mexican  Supreme  Court  confirmed 

the  constitutionality  of  an  ecological  tax  on  extractive 

activities developed in the state of Zacatecas, which taxes 

the environmental remediation actions; emissions of certain 

gases to the atmosphere; emissions of polluting substances 

to  the  soil  or  water;  and  waste  storage  within  the  state. 

The  Company  has  determined  that  this  environmental 

regulation will have no impact on its financial position.

Climate  change:  Several  taxes  are  applicable  to  the 

Company’s mining operations in Mexico, including federal 

and state fossil fuel taxes, and the requirements associated 

with Mexico’s emission trading scheme. These taxes range 

from  $1.2/tCO2  to  $20/tCO2,  approximately.  These  refer 
to regional taxes applicable in the States of Baja California 

and Zacatecas, as well as a federal tax linked to the import 

of  fuels.  In  addition,  an  emission  trading  scheme  (ETS)  is 

currently available to the Company.

The requirements associated with this scheme are currently 

applicable  only  to  two  business  units,  the  metallurgic 

and  lime  plants  in  Sonora,  which  generate  annual  GHG 

emissions  levels  above  the  threshold  of  100,000  tCO2e 
per year contemplated by the scheme. These two units are 

required  to  report  and  verify  their  emissions  once  a  year 

with average costs of less than $6,000 per unit. Units that 

emit more than 25,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent per year (all 
our  Mexican  units)  are  required  to  report  their  emissions 

to  the  National  Emissions  Registry  (RENE)  every year  and 

to  verify  the  reported  emissions  every  three  years.  As  a 

51 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - COMMITMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

result,  the  total  expenses  for  ensure  annual  compliance  with  climate  change 

regulations in Mexico were not material to the Company.

PERUVIAN OPERATIONS

The Company’s operations are subject to applicable Peruvian environmental laws 

and regulations. The Peruvian government, through the Ministry of Environment 

(“MINAM”),  conducts  annual  audits  of  the  Company’s  Peruvian  mining  and 

metallurgical operations. Through  these environmental audits, matters related 

to environmental obligation, compliance with legal requirements, atmospheric 

emissions,  effluent  monitoring  and  waste  management  are  reviewed.  The 

Company  believes  that  it  is  in  material  compliance  with  applicable  Peruvian 

environmental  laws  and  regulations.  Peruvian  law  requires  that  companies  in 

the mining industry provide assurances for future mine closure and remediation. 

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  this  law,  the  Company’s  closure  plans 

were approved by MINEM. See Note 10 “Asset retirement obligation,” for further 

discussion of this matter.

Air Quality Standards (“AQS”): In June 2017, MINAM enacted a supreme decree 

which  defines  new  AQS  for  daily  sulfur  dioxide  in  the  air.  As  of  December  31, 

2022, the Company maintains a daily average level of µg/m3 of SO2, which falls 

below the requirement under the AQS.

Soil Environmental Quality Standards (“SQS”): In 2013, the Peruvian government 

enacted Soil Quality Standards. In accordance with the regulatory requirements 

of  the  law,  the  Company  prepared  Soil  Descontamination  Plans  (“SDP”)  for 

environmentally  impacted  sites  in  each  of  its  operation  units  (Toquepala, 

Cuajone and Ilo) with the assistance of consulting companies. The cost of these 

SDPs is not material, either individually or in aggregated form, for the financial 

statements of the Company.

Climate  change:  On  April  17,  2018,  the  Peruvian  government  enacted  Law  N. 

30754, which promulgates that it is in the national interest to promote public and 

private investments in climate change management and establishes a Climate 

Change  Framework.  The  law  proposes  creating  an  institutional  framework  to 

address climate change in Peru and outlines new measures for climate change 

52  |  53 

mitigation,  such  as  provisions  to  address  an  increase  in 

carbon capture and use of carbon sinks; afforestation and 

reforestation  practices; 

land  use  changes;  sustainable 

systems  of  transportation,  solid  waste  management, 

and  energy  systems.  This  climate  change  framework 

law  incorporates  obligations  from  the  Paris  Agreement. 

Supreme  Decree  013-2019  published  on  December  31, 

2019,  enacted  statutory  regulations,  which  are  applicable 

to  all  Peruvian  institutions  and  agencies.  It  is  expected 

that  additional  Peruvian  regulations  will  be  applicable  to 

non-governmental  entities.  However,  no  carbon  pricing 

mechanism 

is  currently  applicable  to  the  Company’s 

operations in Peru.

The  Company  believes  that  all  of  its  facilities  in  Peru  and 

Mexico  are  in  material  compliance  with  environmental, 

mining  and  other  applicable  laws  and  regulations.  The 

Company  also  believes  that  continued  compliance  with 

environmental laws of Mexico and Peru will have no material 

adverse effects on the Company’s business, properties, or 

operating results. 

53 

Copper refinery at Buenavista del

Cobre, Sonora, Mexico.

54  |  55 

Leaching pads at Toquepala -

Tacna, Peru

55 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

General 
information

Information related to its constitution and inscription in the Public Registry:  

“Brief historical review from the constitution of the Company”. 

Southern  Copper  Corporation  (SCC)  is  one  of  the  largest  integrated  copper 

producers in the world. We produce copper, molybdenum, zinc, silver, lead and 

other by-products. All of our mining, smelting and refining facilities are located 

in Peru and in Mexico and we conduct exploration activities in those countries 

and in Chile, Ecuador and Argentina. Our operations make us one of the largest 

mining companies in both Peru and Mexico. We are one of the largest copper 

mining companies in the world. We were incorporated in Delaware in 1952 and 

have conducted copper mining operations since 1960. Since 1996, our common 

stock has been listed on both the New York and the Lima Stock Exchanges.

Our Peruvian copper operations involve mining, milling and flotation of copper 

ore  to  produce  copper  concentrates  and  molybdenum  concentrates;  the 

smelting of copper concentrates to produce anode copper; and the refining of 

anode copper to produce copper cathodes. As part of this production process, 

we produce significant amounts of molybdenum concentrate and refined silver. 

We  also  produce  refined  copper  using  SX/EW  technology.  We  operate  the 

Toquepala and Cuajone mines high in the Andes Mountains, approximately 860 

kilometers  southeast  of  the  city  of  Lima,  Peru. We  also  operate  a  smelter  and 

refinery west of the Toquepala and Cuajone mines in the coastal city of Ilo, Peru.

Our Mexican operations are conducted through our subsidiary, Minera Mexico 

S.A.  de  C.V.  (“Minera  Mexico”),  which  we  acquired  in  2005.  Minera  Mexico 

engages  principally  in  the  mining  and  processing  of  copper,  molybdenum, 

zinc, silver, gold and lead. Minera Mexico operates through subsidiaries that are 

grouped into three separate units. Mexicana de Cobre S.A. de C.V. (together with 

its subsidiaries, the “Mexcobre unit”) operates La Caridad, an open-pit copper 

mine,  a  copper  ore  concentrator,  a  SX/EW  plant,  a  smelter,  refinery  and  a  rod 

plant.

56  |  57 

Workers at Toquepala mine, Tacna, 

Peru

Operadora de Minas e Instalaciones Mineras S.A de C.V. (the “Buenavista unit”)

operates Buenavista, formerly named Cananea, an open-pit copper mine, which 

is located at the site of one of the world’s largest copper ore deposits, a copper 

concentrator  and  two  SX/EW  plants.  The  Buenavista  mine  was  operated  by 

Mexicana  de  Cananea  S.A.  de  C.V.  and  by  Buenavista  del  Cobre  S.A.  de  C.V. 

until December 11, 2010. From this date, Industrial Minera Mexico, S.A. de C.V. 

(together  with  its  subsidiaries,  the  “IMMSA  unit”)  operated  five  underground 

mines  that  produce  zinc,  lead,  copper,  silver  and  gold,  a  coal  mine  and  a  zinc 

refinery  until  July  2012.  Effective  February  1,  2012,  Minerales  Metalicos  del 

Norte  S.A  was  merged  with  Industrial  Minera  Mexico  S.A.  de  C.V.  (IMMSA). 

IMMSA absorbed Minerales Metalicos del Norte S.A.

We  utilize  modern/state-of-the-art  mining  and  processing  methods,  including 

global positioning systems and computerized mining operations. Our operations 

have  a  high  level  of  vertical  integration  that  allows  us  to  manage  the  entire 

production  process,  from  ore  mining  to  the  production  of  refined  copper  and 

other products, as well as most related transport and logistics functions, using 

our own facilities, employees and equipment.

57 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Economic Group

SCC,  indirectly,  is  part  of  “Grupo  Mexico  S.A.B.  de  C.V.”  which  owns  100%  of 

Americas Mining Corporation (“AMC”).

Several Activities

Grupo Mexico, S.A.B. de C. V.

        Grupo Mexico Servicios, S.A. de C.V.

Mining Activities

         Americas Mining Corporation (“AMC”)

               Southern Copper Corporation (SCC)

                          Minera Mexico, S. A. de C. V.

Industrial Minera Mexico, S.A. de C. V.

        Buenavista del Cobre, S.A. de C. V.

 Mexicana de Cobre, S.A. de C. V.

          Southern Peru Copper Corporation, Agencia en Chile

Southern Peru Copper Corporation, Sucursal del Peru

Compañia Minera Los Tolmos, S.A.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Location

Mexico

Mexico

USA

USA

Mexico

Mexico

Mexico

Mexico

Chile

Peru

Peru

Inscription in 
the RPMV

%

Yes

100

100

  88.90

  99.96

100

100

  98.18

100

Yes (1)

  99.29 (2)

100

Corporate Capital and Common Stock 

Shares

The authorized number of shares

Issues an Paid Capital: Common Shares

Nominal Value of Common Shares

2,000,000,000

884,596,086

$ 0.01

Total number and percent of shares

Shares

Americas Mining Corporation

Common Shares owned by 3rd parties

687,405,997 

85,692,472 

Interest

88.9%

11.1%

Total

773,098,469 

100.0%

(1) Investment shares 

(2) Include 82.69% of common shares and 16.60% of investment shares.

         
58  |  59 

SOUTHERN COPPER CORPORATION

Variable Income

Symbol ISIN

Nnemonic

Year-Month

COTISATION   2022

Open

Close

Maximum

Minimum

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

US84265V1052

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

SCCO

2022-01

2022-02

2022-03

2022-04

2022-05

61.27

65.00 

70.93 

77.40 

61.80 

2022-06

62.09   

2022-07

2022-08

2022-09

2022-10

2022-11

2022-12

49.50

47.80

44.97

47.94

48.63 

61.36

63.80

68.95 

77.03

63.08   

61.78   

49.59

48.90 

47.59

45.16 

47.00 

60.85

61.57 

70.08

69.50             

78.25             

78.18             

63.23             

64.90 

51.59             

51.30             

49.42             

49.31             

60.88             

62.01             

61.27

62.12

67.93

62.21

53.64

49.00

44.85

45.98

42.89

45.75

47.00

59.71

Average 
Price

66.34

66.36

74.41

72.26

58.68

57.22

47.95

48.67

45.38

47.85

59.24

61.23

59 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Description of operations and development
Regarding the Issuing Entity 

CORPORATE PURPOSE

The purpose of SCC is to engage in activities that are permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware. 

Its  main  activity  is  to  extract,  mill,  concentrate,  smelt,  treat,  prepare  for  market,  manufacture,  sell, 

exchange and, in general, to produce and negotiate sales of copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, lead, 

zinc, iron and any other class of minerals and materials or other materials, effects and goods of any 

nature or description; as well as to explore, exploit, sample, examine, investigate, recognize, locate, 

appraise, buy, sell, exchange, etc., mining concessions and mining deposits. SCC belongs to the CIIU 

1320 group.

The term of duration of the Company is indefinite.

Brief historical review from the constitution of SCC:

The Company was organized on December 12, 1952, according to the Laws of the State of Delaware of 

the United States of America, under the original denomination of Southern Peru Copper Corporation 

(“SPCC”), which was renamed on October 11, 2005, to Southern Copper Corporation.

In 1954, SCC established a Branch in Peru to carry out mining activities in this country. The Branch 

was established under public instrument certified by public notary from Lima, Dr. Ricardo Fernandini 

Arana, on November 6, 1954.

The Branch is registered in the Electronic Record Nº 03025091 of the Juridical People of the Registry 

Office of Lima and Callao. 

Actions following company incorporation: 

Capital increase: 

By Public Deed dated May 31, 1995, signed before notary public of Lima, Dr. Carlos A. Sotomayor 

Bernos,  the  Branch  capital  increase  was  formalized.  Said  increase  was  made  through  a  money 

contribution by the Company in favor of its Peru Branch and by the owners of labor shares, pursuant 

to Legislative Decree No. 677. The capital contribution made by the Company aimed to increase the 

capital allotted to the Branch by Headquarters and registered in Peru. The capital contribution made 

by the owners of Labor Shares (today Investment Shares) was assigned to the Labor Shares account 

of the Branch for issuing new Labor Shares.

60  |  61 
61 

Part  of  the  money  contributed  by  the  Company  in  favor  of  its  Branch  and  by  the 

Labor Shares owners was applied as a capital premium to the Resident account as 

Additional Capital.

Exchange of Investment Shares (Labor Shares) for Common Shares:

Dated  September  7,  1995,  “Southern  Peru  Copper  Holding  Company”  was  also 

incorporated pursuant to the Laws of the State of Delaware to act as the holding 

company  that  owns  all  of  Southern  Peru  Copper  Corporation ‘s  shares. This  was 

executed through an exchange of shares that were formerly denominated “Labor 

Shares” (now, Investment Shares), which were issued by the branch in Peru; through 

this  operation,  owners  of  labor  shares  were  given  a  number  of  Common  Shares 

issued  by  SPCC  in  the  United  States.  As  a  consequence  of  this  share  exchange, 

previous  owners  of  Labor  Shares  acquired  17.31%  of  SPCC’s  Capital  and  this 

company acquired ownership of 80.77% of Labor Shares (now, Investment Shares).

On December 31, 1995, Southern Peru Copper Corporation changed its corporate 

name to “Southern Peru Limited”, and “Southern Peru Copper Holding Company” 

changed its corporate name to Southern Peru Copper Corporation.

After  the  corporate  name  change,  the  mining  activities  of  the  Company  in  Peru 

were performed under the name of Southern Peru Limited, Peru Branch (SPL).

On December 31, 1998, the merger between Southern Peru Copper Corporation 

and Southern Peru Limited was agreed. The first company absorbed the second 

and assumed all its assets and liabilities, including the Branch in Peru. This merger 

did not imply any change to the share percentage in the corporate capital or in the 

Equity Participation Account (Investment Shares), which remained unchanged.

As a consequence of the merger, the mining activities of the corporation in Peru 

were again carried out under the name of Southern Peru Copper Corporation, Peru 

Branch, or the abbreviated name of “Southern Peru” and/or the acronym SPCC.

Change of Economic Group:

In  November  1999,  Grupo  Mexico  S.A.B.  de  C.  V.,  a  firm  incorporated  pursuant 

to  the  Laws  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  acquired,  in  the  United  States,  100%  of 

ASARCO Incorporated, the main shareholder of Southern Peru Copper Corporation 

61 

61 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

at that time. In this way, SPCC became a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico, which holds 

its shares through Americas Mining Corporation (AMC).

Acquisition of Minera Mexico (“MM”), and other corporate changes:

SCC  shareholders,  in  a  shareholder  extraordinary  meeting  dated  March  28, 

2005, approved the issuance of Common Shares and required actions related to 

the  acquisition  of  MM,  a  firm  incorporated  pursuant  to  the  Laws  of  the  Republic 

of  Mexico.  This  transaction  was  approved  by  more  than  90%  of  the  stocks  and 

circulating capital of SCC. To acquire Minera Mexico, SCC issued 67,207,640 shares 

in exchange for MM shares. Once the shares related to the acquisition were issued, 

AMC increased its share in SCC from 54.2% to approximately 75.1%.

AMC Increased its Participation in SCC:

In  2008  and  2009,  Grupo  Mexico,  through  its  wholly  owned  subsidiary  Americas 

Mining Corporation, purchased 11.8 million and 4.9 million shares of the Company’s 

common Stock, respectively.

SCC $500 Million Share Repurchase Programs: 

In 2008, our Board of Directors (‘‘BOD’’) authorized a $500 million share repurchase 

program that has since been increased by the BOD and is currently authorized to 

$3 billion. The SCC share repurchase program has registered no activity since the 

third quarter of 2016. The NYSE closing price of SCC common shares at December 

31, 2022 was $60.39 and the maximum number of shares that the Company could 

purchase at that price was 1.4 million shares.

As  a  result  of  the  repurchase  of  shares  of  SCC’s  common  stock,  Grupo  Mexico’s 

direct and indirect ownership was 88.9% as of December 31, 2022.

Change in the Certificate of Incorporation:

On  March  28,  2005,  following  Board  of  Directors  recommendations,  SCC 

shareholders approved, during an extraordinary meeting, the amendments to the 

Articles  of  Incorporation  Deed  that  changed  the  composition  and  obligations  of 

some Board committees.

Special Nominating Committee and Special Independent Directors:

The changes to the Certificate of Incorporation require the Board to include a certain 

62  |  63 

Cuajone mine 

Moquegua, Peru

number  of  special  independent  directors.  The  Special  Nominating  Committee 

functions  as  a  special  committee  to  nominate  special  independent  directors  to 

the  Board.  Pursuant  to  our  Amended  and  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation, 

as  amended,  a  special  independent  director  is  any  director  who  (i)  satisfies  the 

independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE (or any other 

exchange or association on which the Common Stock is listed) and (ii) is nominated 

by the Special Nominating Committee. The Special Nominating Committee has the 

right  to  nominate  a  number  of  special  independent  directors  based  on  the  total 

number of directors in the Board multiplied by the percentage of Common Shares 

all the shareholders (that are not Grupo Mexico and its affiliates) have, rounding up 

to the following integer number.   Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the total 

number of individuals appointed as special independent directors (not belonging 

to Grupo Mexico) cannot be less than two or more than six.

The  Special  Nominating  Committee  consists  of  three  directors.  Two  of  these 

directors (2) are Luis Miguel Palomino and Carlos Ruiz Sacristan (each is an “Initial 

Member” and, together with their successors, “Special Designees”) and the third is 

currently Xavier Garcia de Quevedo (who is appointed by the Board of Directors or 

the “Board Designee”. The Board Designee will be selected annually by the Board 

of Directors. The Special Designees will  be  selected annually by the  members of 

the Board who are special independent directors or Initial Members. Only Special 

Independent Directors can fill vacancies on the Special Nominating Committee. Any 

member of the Special Nominating Committee may be removed at any time by the 

63 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Board of Directors for cause. The unanimous vote of all members of the nominating 

committee will be necessary for the adoption of any resolution or the taking of any 

action.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the power of the Special Nominating Committee to 

nominate special independent directors is subject to the rights of the stockholders to 

make nominations in accordance with our by-laws.

The  provisions  of  the  Amended  and  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation,  as 

amended,  relating  to  Special  Independent  Directors  may  only  be  amended  by  the 

affirmative vote of a majority of the holders of shares of Common Stock (calculated 

without giving effect to any super majority voting rights) other than Grupo Mexico 

and its affiliates.

Transactions with affiliates:

In  2019,  the  Company  entered  into  certain  transactions  in  the  ordinary  course 

of  business  with  parties  that  are  controlling  shareholders  or  their  affiliates.  These 

transactions  include  the  lease  of  office  space,  air  and  railroad  transportation, 

construction  services,  energy  supply  and  other  products  and  services  related  to 

mining  and  refining.  The  Company  lends  and  borrows  funds  among  affiliates  for 

acquisitions and other corporate purposes. These financial transactions bear interest 

and are subject to review and approval by senior management, as all are related party 

transactions.  It  is  the  Company’s  policy  that  the  Audit  Committee  of  the  Board  of 

Directors shall review all related party transactions. The Company is prohibited from 

entering or continuing a material related party transaction that has not been reviewed 

and approved or ratified by the Audit Committee.  

Change of corporate name and other corporate changes:

On September 20, 2005, by written consent instead of an extraordinary shareholder 

meeting,  the  majority  shareholder  approved  renaming  Southern  Peru  Copper 

Corporation  “Southern  Copper  Corporation  or  SCC.”  The  change  was  adopted 

because the new corporate name more accurately reflects the Company’s operational 

reach  outside  the  Republic  of  Peru  after  its  acquisition  of  Minera  Mexico,  and  the 

latter’s  presence  in  the  Republic  of  Chile  through  the  acquisition  of  some  mining 

exploration concessions, and its exploration activities in the Republics of Argentina 

and Ecuador.

64  |  65 

Additionally,  on  the  same  date,  the  majority  shareholder 

approved  an  amendment  to  our  Articles  of  Incorporation  to 

remove  others’  provisions  in  our  Articles  of  Incorporation 

related to our Class A Common Shares that were formerly in 

circulation, which were converted to Common Shares on May 

19,  2005,  and  to  change  the  number  of  Corporate  directors 

from fifteen to a number that will be regularly established by 

a consensus reached by the majority of Board members and 

stipulating that the number of directors will not be less than 

six or more than fifteen.

The amendment of our Articles of Incorporation was submitted 

to the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and came 

into effect on October 11, 2005.

Peru Branch Name:

Generally, any change in the corporate name of headquarters 

should  comprise  the  corresponding  name  of  the  ancillary 

organizations  linked  to  it,  as  is  the  case  of  the  Peru  Branch 

through which the Corporation develops its mining activities 

in Peru.

After consulting with Peruvian lawyers, the Board of Directors, 

in acknowledgement of the importance of the net worth and 

assets  of  the  Branch,  decided  it  was  necessary  to:  continue 

acknowledging  the  position  of  the  Peruvian  Branch  with  its 

local and international copper clients; preserve its proceeds, 

position  its  good  name  in  the  copper  market;  prevent  any 

possible client loss; and guarantee the Branch’s revenue flow 

from sales, its financial and economic revenues and solvency, 

agreed  to  maintain  the  original  corporate  name  of  the  Peru 

Branch,  that  is,  Southern  Peru  Copper  Corporation,  Peru 

Branch, or the abbreviated name “Southern Peru” and/or the 

acronym SPCC.

65 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Changes to the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws

On January 26, 2006, the Board approved an amendment to 

Southern Copper Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and 

by-laws: (i) to remove the provisions related to Class A Common 

Shares  among  other  changes.(ii)  add  a  new  provision  for 

advance notice to shareholders seeking to nominate directors 

or  to  propose  other  business  at  annual  or  special  meetings 

of  the  Common  Stockholders  (as  applicable)  (iii)  substitute 

Grupo  Mexico  for  ASARCO  Incorporated  in  the  “Change 

in  Control”  definition  in  the  Corporation’s  by-laws  (iv)  and 

eliminate the 80% supermajority vote requirement for certain 

corporate actions. The modification of the Modified Certificate 

of Incorporation increased the capital stock from 167,207,640 

shares  to  320,000,000  shares.  These  modifications  were 

submitted for approval of the shareholders at the shareholders 

annual meeting held on April 27, 2006 which was adjourned 

and reconvened for May 4, 2006, and later on adjourned and 

reconvened for May 11, 2006.

At  the  annual  meeting,  on  April  27,  2006,  the  proposal  to 

amend the by-laws to eliminate certain extraneous provisions 

relating to the retired series of Class A Common Stock had an 

affirmative vote of 79.85% of the required votes. Given that the 

required vote for the approval of this proposal was 80% and 

because some votes still needed to be tabulated, the annual 

meeting for this proposal was adjourned until May 4, 2006. On 

May  4,  2006,  at  the  adjourned  and  reconvened  meeting  the 

stockholders approved the proposal with an affirmative vote 

of 80.61% of the required votes.

On April 27, 2006, stockholders approved (i) the amendment 

to the by-laws to introduce a new provision for advance notice 

to shareholders seeking to nominate directors or to propose 

other business at annual or special meetings of the Common 

66  |  67 

Stockholders (as applicable); (ii) the amendment to the by-laws to substitute 

Grupo Mexico for ASARCO Incorporated in the “Change in Control” definition in 

the Corporation’s bylaws; (iii) the amendments to the Amended and Restated 

Certificate  of  Incorporation  to  increase  the  number  of  shares  of  Common 

Stock, which the Corporation is authorized to issue from 167,207,640 shares 

to 320,000,000 shares; and (iv) the selection of the independent accountants.

On  April  27,  2006,  the  proposal  to  amend  the  by-laws  to  eliminate  the  80% 

supermajority  vote  requirement  for  certain  corporate  actions  had  received 

preliminary votes, representing an affirmative vote of 78.35% of the required 

votes. Given that the required vote for the approval of this proposal was 80% 

and because some votes still needed to be tabulated, the annual meeting for 

this  proposal  was  adjourned  first  until  May  4,  2006,  and  subsequently  until 

May 11, 2006. On May 11, 2006, at the adjourned and reconvened meeting 

stockholders did not approve the proposal having received an affirmative vote 

of 79.61% of the required votes.

SCC  is,  indirectly,  part  of  Grupo  Mexico  S.A.B.  de  C.V.  which  owns  100%  of 

Americas  Mining  Corporation  (AMC)  shareholding,  owner  of  88.9%  of  SCC 

shares.

Information about plans and investment policies:

See Capital Expenditures and Exploration on page 13.

Relationship between the Issuer and the Government 

On  November  20,  1996,  SCC  and  the  Peruvian  Government  (Ministry  of 

Energy  and  Mines)  signed  a  contract  that  remained  effective  until  the  year 

2010  and  guaranteed  the  tax  stability  and  the  availability  of  exchange  to 

foreign currency of the Branch’s earnings related to the operation of the SX/

EW plant at Toquepala and the Solvent Extraction (SX) operation in Cuajone. 

Also, on April 18, 1995, SCC and the Peruvian Government (CONITE) signed 

a  contract  that  remained  effective  during  ten  years  and  guaranteed  the 

availability of foreign currencies, free remittance of dividends to the exterior, 

among other guarantees related to the acid plant of the Ilo Smelter.

67 

Cularjahuira dam - Tacna, Peru. Built with the contribution of 

the Company through Candarave Development Fund

68  |  69 

SCC obtains refunds for tax credits in Peru for the general sales tax (IGV) paid in 

connection with the acquisition of capital goods and other goods and services 

used in its operations, counting these credits as a paid expense in advance. By 

virtue of these refunds, SCC is entitled to credit the amount of the IGV against its 

Peruvian tax obligations or to receive a refund.

SPECIAL MINING TAX 

This tax is based on operating income with graduated rates increasing from 2% 

to 8.4%. The Company recognized $56.4 million, $114.0 million and $50.0 million 

in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, with respect to this tax. These amounts 

were included as income taxes in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings.

MINING ROYALTY

The royalty charge is based on operating income margins with graduated rates 

ranging  from  1%  to  12%  of  operating  profits,  with  a  minimum  royalty  charge 

assessed at 1% of net sales. The minimum royalty charge is recorded as cost of 

sales  and  those  amounts  assessed  at  higher  rates  are  included  in  the  income 

tax provision. The Company has accrued $71.4 million, $140.8 million and $60.6 

million of royalty charges in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, of which $35.8 

million, $97.8 million and $31.4 million were included in income taxes in 2022, 

2021 and 2020, respectively.

SOCIAL INVESTMENT FOR TAXES 

SCC  has  signed  agreements  with  Ministry  of  Education,  regional  and  local 

governments  of  Tacna,  Moquegua,  and  Arequipa,  and  a  public  university 

“Universidad  Nacional  San  Agustin  de  Arequipa”  under  the  law  of  Social 

Investments  for  Taxes  (Obras  por  Impuestos).    Once  the  investments  are 

completed, the municipalities benefiting from these investments must submit a 

certificate of public, local or regional investment.  SCC has the right to use these 

investment amounts as an advance payment on its income tax liability for up to 

50% of the income tax levied for the prior year.

69 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

La Caridad mine, 

Sonora, Mexico

Operations in Mexico 

LA CARIDAD MINE

“La  Caridad  Concentrator”,  began  operations  in  1979.    The  concentrator 

has  a  current  capacity  of  94,500  tons  of  ore  per  day.    “Molybdenum  Plant” 

started operations in 1982, with a production capacity of 2,000 tons of copper-

molybdenum concentrate per day.

La  Caridad  SX-EW  has  an  annual  design  capacity  of  21,900  tons  of  copper 

cathodes.  Approximately  983.9  million  tons  of  leaching  ore  with  an  average 

grade of approximately 0.239% copper was extracted from the La Caridad open 

pit mine and deposited in leaching dumps to December 31, 2022.

LA CARIDAD METALLURGIC COMPLEX

“La  Caridad  Smelter”,  started  operations  in  July,  1986.  The  current  installed 

capacity of the smelter is 1,000,000 tons per year, which is sufficient to treat all 

the concentrates of La Caridad and almost 40.5% of the total production of the 

OMIMSA I and OMIMSA II concentrators from Buenavista. In 2010, the smelter 

also began processing concentrates from the IMMSA mines after we closed the 

San Luis Potosi smelter.

70  |  71 

Our workforce is comprised of more 

than 15,000 employees

71 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

“La  Caridad  Refinery”,  started  operations  in  July,  1997  with  a 

production capacity of 493 tons of copper cathode per day, which 

was expanded to 822 tons in January, 1998. The installed capacity 

of the refinery is 300,000 tons per year.

“La  Caridad  Precious  Metals  Plant”,  started  operations  in  May, 

1999  with  a  capacity  of  43,836  ounces  of  silver;  247  ounces  of 

gold; and 342 kilograms of selenium.

“La  Caridad  Wire  Rod  Plant”,  a  rod  plant  at  the  La  Caridad 

complex,  began  operations  in  1998  and  reached  its  full  annual 

operating capacity of 150,000 tons in 1999. The plant is producing 

eight-millimeter copper rods with a purity of 99.99%.

“Effluent  and  Dust  Treatment  Plant”,  a  dust  and  effluent  plant 

with a treatment capacity of 5,000 tons of smelter dusts per year, 

which  will  produce  1,500  tons  of  copper  by-products  and  2,500 

tons of lead sulfates per year. This plant began operating in 2012. 

BUENAVISTA MINE

“Buenavista  Concentrator”,  the  original  concentrator  currently 

has a nominal milling capacity of 82,000 tons per day. The second 

concentrator  began  operations  in  2015  with  a  nominal  milling 

capacity of 100,000 tons per day. 

“Buenavista  SX/EW  I  Plant”,started  operating  in  1980,  with  a 

capacity of 30 tons per day.

“Buenavista  SX/EW  II  Plant,  inicio  sus  operaciones  con  una 

capacidad de 66 t/d en 1989 y amplio su capacidad a 120 t/d en 

2001.

“Buenavista  SX/EW  III  Plant”  started  operating  in  June  2014; 

we  completed  the  construction  of  a  new  SX-EW  plant  that  has 

significantly 

increased  production  of 

leachable  material  by 

approximately 120,000 tons per year. The SX-EW facilities have a 

cathode production capacity of 174,470 tons per year.

 
72  |  73 

UNDERGROUND MINES

1.  The Santa Barbara Unit with a milling capacity of 5,800 tons of ore per day.

2.  The Santa Eulalia Unit with a milling capacity of 1,450 tons of ore per day.

3.  The San Martin Unit with a milling capacity of 4,400 tons of ore per day.

4.  The Charcas Unit with a milling capacity of 4,100 tons of ore per day. 

5. 

 The Taxco Unit with a milling capacity of 2,000 tons per day.

6.  Coque Coal Plant, in Coahuila Unit, with a capacity of 105,000 tons of coke per 

year.

7.   The Zinc Refinery with a capacity of 288 tons per day of refined zinc.

Peruvian Operations

TOQUEPALA MINE

“Toquepala Concentrator”. Directorial Resolution No.455-91-EM/DGM/DCM dated 

July 5, 1991 approved the operation of the Toquepala Concentrator. The resolution 

granted 240 hectares of surface land and authorized a throughput of 39,000 tons/

day.

Based  on  Report  No.  413-97-EM/DGM/DPDM  dated  July  7,  1997,  the  “Director 

General  de  Mineria”  authorized  the  expansion  of  the Toquepala  Concentrator  to  a 

43,000 tons/day throughput.

Based  on  Report  N°  547-2002-EM/DGM/DPDM,  dated  November  6,  2002, 

the  “Director  General  de  Mineria”  authorized  the  expansion  of  the  Toquepala 

Concentrator to a capacity of 60,000 MT per day.

Resolution  N°  0163-2020-MINEM-DGM/V,  dated  June  11,  2020,  based  on 

Report  N°  081  –  2020  -  MINEM-DGM-DTM/PB,  the “Director  General  de  Mineria” 

authorized  the  operation  and  auxiliary  facilities  of  II  Molibdenum  Circuit  at  the 

Toquepala Concentrator to a capacity of 120,000 MT per day. According with this 

Report,  the  Company  must  comply  with,  among  other  aspects,  environmental 

recommendations and commitments; safety regulations; and occupational Health 

and Safety Regulations.

73 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

“Toquepala  Leaching  Plant  (SX/EW)”.  Directorial  Resolution  No.  166-96-EM/DGM  dated 

May 7, 1996, approved the operation of the Toquepala SX/EW plant. The resolution granted 

60 hectares of surface land and authorized a throughput of 11,850 tons/day.

Based  on  Report  No.  660-98-EM-DGM/DPDM  dated  November  10,  1998  the  “Director 

General  de  Mineria”  authorized  construction  and  expansion  of  Toquepala  SX/EW  plant 

to  18,737  tons/day  throughput.  Directoral  Resolution  dated  May  19,  2003,  based  on 

Report  No.  291-2003-EM-DGM/DPDM,  authorized  operation  of  the  SX/EW  plant  to  a 

throughput of 18,737 tons/day. Resolution dated December 15, 2021, based on Report No. 

0457-2021-MINEM-DGM-DTM/PB, authorized operation of the SX/EW plant from 18,737 

tons/day to 18, 756 TMD.

CUAJONE MINE

“Botiflaca  Concentrator”  in  Cuajone.  Directorial  Resolution  No.  150-81-EM/DCM  dated 

August 14, 1981 approved the operation of Botiflaca Concentrator. The resolution granted 

56 hectares of surface land.

Based on Report No. 266-99-EM/DGM/DPDM dated July 20, 1999 the “Director General de 

Mineria” authorized the expansion of Botiflaca Concentrator to 87,000 MT per day throughput.

Resolution N° 379-2010-MEM-DGM/V dated October 7, 2010 and based on Report N°312-

2010-MEM-DGM-DTM/PB, authorized construction and expansion of Botiflaca Concentrator 

to 90,000 MT per day throughput.

For operating reasons, and as part of crusher process optimization, on November 18, 2011, 

we requested, through resource N° 2144941, that Peruvian authorities consider the addition 

of three more facilities (HPGR mill and others).

On May 2012, through Directoral Resolution N° 153-2012-MEM-DGM-V and based on report 

165-2012-MEM-DGM-DTM-P, MEM approved and authorized the project to include the three 

aforementioned additional facilities in the amendment and increased the installed capacity 

from 87,000 to 90,000 MT per day.

“Cuajone Leaching Plant (LX/EW)”. Directorial Resolution No.155-96-EM/DGM dated May 

6, 1996 approved the operation of the Cuajone Leaching plant. The resolution granted 400 

 
74  |  75 

hectares of surface land and authorized a throughput of 2,100 

MT  per  day.  Based  on  Report  No.  988-2009-MEM-DGM/V, 

dated  December  16,  2009,  the  Cuajone  SX  plant  operation 

was approved and authorized with a capacity of 3100 MT per 

day.

ILO METALLURGICAL COMPLEX

“Ilo Smelter” Authorized (definitely) by Directorial Resolution 

No.  078-69-EM/DGM  dated  August  21,  1969  approved 

the  operation  of  the  Ilo  Smelter.  The  resolution  authorized 

production of 400 short tons/day of blister copper.

Based  on  Report  No.204-2000-EM-DGM-DPDM  dated  June 

20, 2000 the “Director General de Mineria” authorized the Ilo 

Smelter to expand its capacity to 3,100 MT per day throughput 

of copper concentrates.

On  February  4,  2010,  by  the  Application  Nº  1961695,  the 

Company  began  the  process  to  obtain  authorization  from 

the MINEM to operate a capacity of 3,770 MT per day, which 

is  included  as  an  ancillary  facility  to  Acid  Plant  No.  2,  with  a 

capacity of 2,880 MT per day or 1,051,200 MT per year.

“Ilo  Refinery”.  Authorized  by  Report  No.  056-94-EM/DGM/

DRDM dated May 27, 1994 the “Director General de Mineria” 

authorized the operation of the Ilo Copper Refinery at 533 MT 

per day throughput of blister copper.

Based  on  Report  No.  506-97-EM/DGM/DPDM  dated 

September  2,  1998  the  “Director  General  de  Mineria” 

authorized  expanding  Ilo  Copper  Refinery’s  capacity  to  658 

MT per day throughput.

75 

Ilo refinery, 

Moquegua, Peru

76  |  77 

Based on Report N° 080-2002-EM-DGM/DPDM, dated March 14, 

2002, the “Director General de Mineria” authorized the Ilo Copper 

Refinery to expand its capacity to 800 MT per day.

Resolution  N°  520-2010-MEM-DGM/V  dated  December  30, 

2010,  based  on  Report  N°  N°414-2010-MEM-DGM-DTM/PB, 

authorized changes in Ilo copper refinery without expanding its 

capacity throughput.

Resolution N° 0162-2020-MINEM-DGM/V dated June 11, 2020, 

based on Report N° 080-2020-MINEM-DGM-DTM/PB, authorized 

the Ilo Copper Refinery to expand its capacity to 810 MT per day.

“Sulfuric  Acid  Plant”.  Authorized  by  Directorial  Resolution 

No.  024-96-EM/DGM  dated  January  19,  1996,  approved  the 

operation of the sulfuric acid plant, installed at the smelter, at a 

production rate of 150,000 tons per year.

Based  on  Report  No.  313-98-EM/DGM/DPDM  dated  May  21, 

1998 the “Director General de Mineria” authorized the expansion 

of  the  Ilo  Sulfuric  Acid  Plant  to  a  capacity  of  300,000  tons  per 

year production.

“Coquina Wash Plant and Sea shell Concentrates” authorized 

to  operate  by  Directorial  Resolution  Nº  110-93-EM/DGM  of 

August  3,  1993.  The  plant  processes  95  TC/h  of  raw  material 

(coquina)  recovered  from  nearby  mines.  Seashell  is  produced 

separating  sand  and  other  materials  from  the  coquina  using 

seawater-washing screens.

Resolution  N°038-2011-MEM-DGM-DTM/PB  dated  February 

2,  2011,  based  on  Report  N°035-2011-MEM-DGM-DTM/PB, 

authorized  modifications  to  the  concession  of  “Coquina  Wash 

77 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Panoramic view of Ilo Smelter, 

Moquegua, Peru

Plant and Seashell Concentrates” to designate it a dry seashell 

plant  without  expanding 

its  capacity  throughput,  which 

represents 2,068 tons/day. Through Nº 2499277, dated May 

19, 2015, SPCC requested a temporary, three-year suspension 

of its Dry Seashell Concentrates plant.

Resolution N° 0850-2018 – MEM-DGM/V dated November 15, 

2018, based on Report N° 162-2018 /MEM-DGM-DTM-PCM, 

SPCC communicated to MEM that it was initiating the closure 

of the facilities at Coquina Mine. 

78  |  79 

Human resources

Safety and health 

At  Southern  Copper  Corporation,  caring  for  the  lives,  health 

and welfare of our employees and their families is a priority at 

all of our operations.

Accordingly,  our  main  commitment  is  to  create  optimal  and 

safe  work  environments  for  our  employees  by  applying  the 

highest  occupational  health  and  safety  standards.  Our  goal: 

ZERO  accidents.  Our  main  commitments  regarding  health 

and safety, are disclosed on Grupo Mexico website.

An  Integrated  Occupational  Health  and  Safety  Management 

System  allows  us  to  implement  effective  processes  and 

to  provide  our  employees  with  the  knowledge  and  skills 

necessary to identify, control and mitigate risks. The focus is 

on prioritizing actions and taking the necessary precautions to 

prevent accidents.

In  2022,  we  operated  13  units  in  Mexico  and  Peru,  where 

Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Management  Systems  have 

been certified according to OHSAS 18001: 2007. Additionally, 

in  Mexico,  we  maintain  28  units  that  are  certified  by  the 

Secretariat  of  Labor  and  Social  Welfare  in  Self-Managed 

Occupational Health and Safety (PASST), which have endorsed 

our commitment to best practices in health and safety at work 

and compliance with government provisions on the matter.

79 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - HUMAN RESOURCES

In  2022,  the  accident  rate  (IR)  increased  37%  compared  to  2021  but  stood  at 

rates similar to previous years. We will continue working to reinforce prevention 

activities to diminish risks and ensure the physical integrity of our collaborators.

Accident Rate  (IR) 
SCC, 2018-2022 t

2018     0.74 

2019     0.82 

2020     0.49 

2021     0.79

2022     0.50 

Severity Rate (GR) 
SCC, 2018-2022 

2018      0.31 

2019      0.89 

2020      0.19 

2021      0.81

2022      0.57

IR =

N° of disabling accidents

N° of total men - hours worked 

x 200,000 

GR =

N° of days lost 

N° of total men - hours worked 

x 1,000 

The  accomplishments  in  2022  on  the  occupational  health  and  safety  front 

include:

•  The occupational accident rate at our mining operations in SCC is 62% below 

the average in the mining industry in the USA, according to the Mine Safety 

and Health Administration.

•  The  Mining  Chamber  of  Mexico  (CAMIMEX)  in  2022  awarded  the  “Jorge 

Rangel Zamorano” Silver Helmet Trophy to the Planta de Metales Preciosos 

de  Mexicana  del  Cobre,  after  it  reported  the  lowest  accident  rates  in  the 

industry and in recognition of its efforts in the field of accident prevention.

•  The Metalurgica del Cobre, La Caridad, Santa Barbara, Charcas, San Martin 

and  Zinc  Refinery  operations  were  recognized  with  the  distinctive  ELSSA 

Program.  Awarded  by  the  Mexican  Government  for  those  companies  that 

promote safe and healthy work environments.

•  XVI  National  Competition  of  Underground  Mining  Rescue  Crews,  First 

Aid  and  Hazardous  Materials,  organized  by  the  Mexican  Mining  Chamber 

80  |  81 

(CAMIMEX) and the National Council for Standardization and Certification of 

Labor Competences (CONOCER), following achievements were obtained: 

-  1st place to Santa Barbara Unit (First Aid to rescue crew “Coyotes”) 

-  1st place to Santa Barbara Unit (Underground mining rescue “Nahuales”)

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Healthy  environments  are  part  of  the  organizational  culture  and  management 

system.  The  Company  assumes  the  responsibility  to  establish  culture  of 

involvement,  participation  and  commitment 

to  generate  better  health 

conditions that improve the quality of life of our employees, their families and 

the communities in which we operate.

Occupational Disease Rate
SCC 2018-2022

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

0.18

0.23

0.18

0.15

0.13

ODR =

N° Cases of Occupational Diseases 

N° of Total Men-Hours Worked 

x 200,000

We  continued  efforts  to  implement  several  programs  relative  to  education, 

prevention, risk control and medical treatment, and aim to preserve our workers’ 

health. These  programs  cover  our  employees  and,  in  some  cases,  their  family 

members, contractors, suppliers, institutions and the general public.

81 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - HUMAN RESOURCES

Targeting workplace personnel:

Awards to 
employees or 
departments 
with zero 
accidents

Health 
career

Security 
Courses and 
Conferences

Labor

Health 
Fair

Expo 
safety

Internal 
security 
forum

Targeting employees’ families and the community:

Guided tours 
“Knowing my 
Company”

Health 
fair

Health 
Career

Family 
gatherings and 
parades

Family

Firefighting 
courses

Family contests 
to promote 
values

82  |  83 

INVESTING IN SAFETY AND HEALTH

In 2022, we invested over $41 million in occupational safety and health efforts for engineering work; 

purchase  personal  protective  equipment;  provide  training  and  coaching;  and  conduct  industrial 

hygiene  studies.  To  enhance  the  culture  of  occupational  health,  we  have  developed  programs  to 

promote and protect health and focused on primary prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. 

EMPLOYEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31TH

2021

9,722

4,675

35

15

7

3

5

2020

8,962

4,739

58

4

6

3

5

2019

9,358

4,890

23

15

9

1

5

2018

9,002

4,850

30

5

5

2

5

15,018

14,462

13,777

14,301

13,899

TOTAL EMPLOYEES IN SCC

2022

10,005

4,947

4

9

10

38

5

Mexico

Peru

Ecuador

Argentina

Chile

Corporate Office

OHYSA

Total

Labor Matters

Mexican operations: 

72.4% of our 10,005 Mexican employees were unionized as of December 31, 2022 and are represented 

by  four  different  unions.  Under  Mexican  law,  the  terms  of  employment  for  unionized  workers  are 

set  forth  in  collective  bargaining  agreements.  Mexican  companies  negotiate  the  salary  provisions 

of  collective  bargaining  agreements  with  the  labor  unions  on  an  annual  basis  and  negotiate  other 

benefits  every  two  years.  We  conduct  negotiations  separately  at  each  mining  complex  and  each 

processing plant. 

In  recent  years,  the  Mexican  operations  have  experienced  a  positive  improvement  in  their  labor 

environment, as workers opted to change their affiliation from the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores 

Mineros, Metalurgicos y Similares de la Republica Mexicana (the “National Mining Union”) to other 

less politicized unions.

Peruvian operations:

76.5% of the Company’s 4,947 Peruvian employees were unionized at December 31, 2022. Currently, 

there are six separate unions, none of which represents the majority of workers, as defined by current 

Peruvian labor legislation.  

83 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - HUMAN RESOURCES

In the first half of 2022, the six unions came together to defend their rights 

to work at the Cuajone unit. This action was taken after a small group of 

residents  from  the  community  of  Tumilaca,  Pocata,  Coscore  and  Tala, 

Moquegua cut off the water supply and blocked railroad access, which 

directly affected the health and safety of workers and their families and 

the production process.

Principles of corporate governance

Information  referred  to  the  Resolution  of  “Superintendencia  del 

Mercado  de  Valores”  No.  012-2014-SMV  /  01,  consisting  of  a  “Report 

on  Compliance  with  the  Code  of  Good  Corporate  Governance  for 

Peruvian  Companies”  is  applicable  only  to  Peruvian  companies.  Given 

that SCC is not a Peruvian company, this report is not submitted to the 

“Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores” (SMV) of Peruvian Republic. 

Notwithstanding, SCC submits the “Annual Written Affirmation” to SMV.  

This  document  provides  information  on  Good  Corporate  Governance, 

which our company remits annually to the New York Stock Exchange.

Economic relations with other companies due to loans that commit more 

than 10% of the stockholder’s equity of the issuing entity: 

To the date, there are no loans with other companies that comprise more 

than 10% of SCC’s property. 

ADMINISTRATIVE 

JUDICIAL 

OR 

ARBITRATION 

PROCESSES LITIGATION

See  Note  13  “Commitments  and  Contingencies”  to  our  Consolidated 

Financial Statements on our 2022 Form 10-K.

Ms.  CPC  Lina  Vingerhoets  is  the  Company´s  Controller  and  Mr.  Eco. 

Marco Antonio Garcia Vargas was our Finance Manager until December 

2, 2022. The Company has expressed its deepest gratitude to Mr. Garcia 

for his work, dedication and service to the Company during his 40-year 

career there. 

84  |  85 

INFORMATION  RELATED  TO  THE  STOCK  ENTERED 

IN THE STOCK MARKET PUBLIC

Common Stock

On  November  29,  1995  the  Company  offered  to  exchange  the 

recently issued common shares for any and all labor shares of the 

Peruvian  Branch  of  the  Company  at  a  ratio  of  one  common  share 

per  four  S-1  shares  and  one  common  share  per  five  S-2  shares. 

The  exchange  expired  on  December  29,  1995,  and  80.8%  of  the 

total  labor  shares  in  circulation  were  exchanged  for  22,959,334 

common  shares.  These  common  shares  are  quoted  in  New  York 

Stock  Exchange  and  the  Lima  Stock  Exchange  and  are  entitled  to 

one vote per share.

Along  with  the  exchange  of  labor  shares,  the  holders  of  common 

shares of the Company exchanged their shares for Class A common 

shares, with the right to five votes per share.

In  connection  with  Minera  Mexico’s  acquisition  (April  1,  2005), 

134,415,280 new common shares were issued and class A common 

shares  of  the  Company  were  converted  to  common  shares,  and 

preferential votes were eliminated. On June 9, 2005, Cerro Trading 

Company, Inc., SPC Investors L.L.C., Phelps Dodge Overseas Capital 

Corporation  and  Climax  Molybdenum  B.V.,  subsidiaries  of  two  of 

SCC’s founding shareholders and affiliates, sold their shares in SCC.

On  August  30,  2006,  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  of 

Directors declared a two-for-one split of the Company’s outstanding 

common  stock.  On  October  2,  2006,  common  shareholders  of 

record  at  the  close  of  business  on  September  15,  2006  received 

one additional share of common stock for every share owned. The 

Company’s  common  stock  began  trading  at  its  post-split  price 

on  October  3,  2006.  The  split  increased  the  number  of  shares 

outstanding to 294,460,850 from 147,230,425.

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SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - HUMAN RESOURCES

On June 19, 2008, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors declared 

a three-for-one split of the Company’s outstanding common stock. On July 10, 

2008, common shareholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2008 

received two additional shares of common stock for every share owned. The split 

increased the number of shares outstanding to 883,410,150 from 294,470,050.

All share and per share amounts were retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock 

splits.

Between 2008 and 2016, the Company and AMC had bought shares periodically.

At  December  31,  2022,  there  were  of  record  773,098,469  shares  of  common 

stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding.

Corporate notes

Between July 2005 and October 2015, the Company issued senior unsecured 

notes eight times totaling $6.2 billion. Interest on the notes is paid semi-annually 

in arrears. The notes rank pari passu with each other and rank pari passu in right 

of payment with all of the Company’s other existing and future unsecured and 

unsubordinated indebtedness.

The  indentures  relating  to  the  notes  contain  certain  restrictive  covenants, 

including  limitations  on  liens,  limitations  on  sale  and  leaseback  transactions, 

rights  of  the  holders  of  the  notes  upon  the  occurrence  of  a  change  of  control 

triggering  event,  limitations  on  subsidiary  indebtedness  and  limitations  on 

consolidations, mergers, sales or conveyances. Certain of these covenants cease 

to be applicable before the notes mature if the Company obtains an investment 

grade rating. The Company obtained investment grade rating in 2005.

In  addition,  the  Company´s  Mexican  operations  hold  $51.2  million  in  bonds 

referred above as “Yankee bonds”, contain a covenant requiring Minera Mexico 

to maintain a ratio of EBITDA to interest expense of not less than 2.5 to 1.0 as 

86  |  87 

Workers at Cuajone mine, 

Moquegua, Peru

such terms are defined in the debt instrument. At December 31, 2022, 

the Company was in compliance with this covenant.

On September 26, 2019, Minera Mexico S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of SCC, 

issued  $1  billion  Senior  Notes  at  a  fixed  rate  with  a  discount  of  $12.7 

million, which will be amortized over the corresponding debt period. This 

debt was issued in a single tranche, maturing in 2050 at an annual interest 

rate of 4.5%. Interest on the notes will be paid semi-annually at maturity. 

The Company aims to use the net proceeds from the offer (i) to finance 

the expansion program of Minera Mexico, including the Buenavista Zinc, 

Pilares and El Pilar projects, (ii) for other capital expenditures, and (iii) for 

general corporate purposes.

The  notes  constitute  general  unsecured  obligations  of  Minera  Mexico. 

The notes were issued in an unregistered offering pursuant to Rule 144A 

and Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933.

Please  see  Note  11  “Financing”  for  a  discussion  about  the  covenants’ 

requirements with regard to our long-term debt, on our 2022 Form 10-K.

87 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Members of the Board of 
Directors 

At December 31, 2022

German Larrea Mota-Velasco, Director. Mr. Larrea has been Chairman of the 

Board of Directors since December 1999, Chief Executive Officer from December 

1999 to October 2004, and a member of our Board of Directors since November 

1999.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  President  and  Chief 

Executive  Officer  of  Grupo  Mexico,  S.A.B.  de  C.V.  (“Grupo  Mexico”)  (holding) 

since 1994. Mr. Larrea has been Chairman of the board of directors and Chief 

Executive Officer of Grupo Ferroviario Mexicano, S.A. de C.V. (railroad company) 

since 1997. Mr. Larrea was previously Executive Vice Chairman of Grupo Mexico 

and has been member of the board of directors since 1981. He is also Chairman 

of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of Empresarios Industriales 

de  Mexico,  S.A.  de  C.V.  (“EIM”)  (holding)  and  Fondo  Inmobiliario  (real  estate 

company), since 1992. 

Mr.  Larrea  presides  over  every  Board  meeting  and  since  1999,  has  been 

contributing  his  education,  leadership  skills,  industry  knowledge,  strategic 

vision, informed judgment and over 20 years of business experience, especially 

in the mining sector.  As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Mexico, 

of  Grupo  Ferroviario  Mexicano,  S.A.  de  C.V.  and  of  EIM,  a  holding  company 

engaged in a variety of business, including mining, construction, railways, real 

estate and drilling, he brings a valuable mix of business experience in different 

industries.

Oscar Gonzalez Rocha, Director. Mr. Gonzalez Rocha has been our President 

since  December  1999  and  our  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  since 

October 21, 2004. He has been a director of the Company since November 1999. 

Mr.  Gonzalez  Rocha  has  been  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  director  of  Asarco 

LLC (integrated US copper producer), an affiliate of the Company, since August 

88  |  89 

2010  and  President,  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Americas  Mining  Corporation 

(“AMC”),  a  holding  company  of  Grupo  Mexico,  since  2015.  Previously,  he  was 

the  President  and  General  Director  and  Chief  Operating  Officer    of    Minera 

Mexico  S.A.  de  C.V.  from  December  1999  to  October  20,  2004.  Mr.  Gonzalez 

Rocha has been a director of Grupo Mexico since 2002. He was General Director 

of  Mexicana  de  Cobre,  S.A.  de  C.V.  from  1986  to  1999  and  of  Buenavista  del 

Cobre, S.A. de C.V. (formerly Mexicana de Cananea, S.A. de C.V.) from 1990 to 

1999. He was an alternate director of Grupo Mexico from 1988 to April 2002. Mr. 

Gonzalez Rocha is a civil engineer with a degree from the Autonomous National 

University of Mexico (“UNAM”) in Mexico City, Mexico.

Mr. Gonzalez Rocha,  is a civil engineer by profession and a business man with 

over  40  years  of  experience  in  the  mining  industry.  He  has  been  associated 

with  our  Mexican  operations  since  1976.  His  contributions  to  the  Company 

include  his  professional  skills,  leadership,  an  open  mind  and  willingness  to 

listen  to  different  opinions.  Mr.  Gonzalez  Rocha  has  proven  his  ability  to  deal 

with crises to lessen negative impacts on the Company. His devotion of time to 

the Company and his hands-on management of the operations in Mexico and 

Peru contribute to his effective leadership. Mr. Gonzalez Rocha was recognized 

as Copper Man of the Year 2015 and inducted into the American Mining Hall of 

Fame in December 2016 in Tucson, Arizona and into the Mexican Mining Hall of 

Fame in October 2017 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Vicente Ariztegui Andreve, Independent Director. Mr. Ariztegui Andreve has 

been  a  director  of  the  Company  since  April  25,  2018.    Mr.  Ariztegui  Andreve 

is  Managing  Director  and  Chairman  of  Aonia  Holding,  a  wholly  owned  private 

investment  firm  he  founded  in  1989.    Aonia  has  made  investments  in  the 

following industries: gold mining, global commodity trading, retailing (e.g. duty 

free shops), infrastructure (e.g. airport terminal operation), asset management 

and real estate.  Over the last nine years, Mr. Ariztegui has been actively selling 

and buying stakes in non-public companies, including Pallium Trading (fish meal) 

and MK Metal Trading (copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver concentrates). He also 

sold  Aonia’s  equity  stake  in  Fumisa  and  Aerodom,  airport  terminal  operating 

companies in Mexico City and in the Dominican Republic, respectively.  In 2013, 

Mr. Ariztegui Andreve made inroads in the financial asset management business 

89 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

by acquiring a stake in InverCap, the fifth largest pension fund manager in Mexico, 

which he sold in April 2017.  Mr. Ariztegui Andreve worked as a Corporate Banker 

and Vice President of international operations and trade finance for Citibank in 

New York and Mexico City for eight years (1979-1987).  Mr. Ariztegui Andreve co-

founded and was President and Chief Executive Officer of MK Metal Trading, an 

international metal and mineral (copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver concentrates) 

trading company start-up, for 18 years (1994-2012). MK Metal Trading was sold 

in 2012.  Mr. Ariztegui Andreve currently sits on the boards of several non-public 

companies,  including  InverCap  Holding  (financial  assets  management),  Reim 

(real  estate  mid-size  residential  development),  Alvamex  (international  storage 

and logistics). He is also a director of the University Club in Mexico. Previously, 

he was director of Dufry AG (leading global retail and airport duty free operator), 

Latin American Airport Holdings (airport infrastructure and terminal operator), 

Satelites Mexicanos (SATMEX) (telecommunications), Banco Mexicano, Grupo 

Financiero  Inverlat  (financial  services)  and  Minera  Santa  Gertrudis  (mining).  

Mr.  Ariztegui  has  not  served  as  a  director  of  any  other  US  public  company 

over  the  last  five  years.    Mr.  Ariztegui  Andreve  received  a  Master  in  Business 

Administration degree from the Wharton School of Business and Finance and 

a Master in Systems Engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ariztegui Andreve brings to the Company his vast experience in the financial, 

mining  and  commercial  sectors.  He  also  adds  to  the  Board  of  Directors  his 

leadership experience and the expertise attained  through  his work as director 

of other companies.

Enrique  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada,  Independent  Director.  Mr.  Castillo 

Sanchez Mejorada  has been a director of the Company since July 26, 2010 and 

is our fifth independent director nominee. From May 2013 to December 2020, 

Mr.  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada  was  Senior  Partner  of  Ventura  Capital  Privado, 

S.A. de C.V. (Mexican financial company). 

From  October  2013  to  April  2021,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors 

of  Maxcom  Telecomunicaciones,  S.A.B.  de  C.V.  (Mexican  telecommunications 

company).  From April 2011 to May 2013, Mr. Castillo Sanchez Mejorada was a 

senior advisor at Grupo Financiero Banorte, S.A.B. de C.V.(“GFNorte”), a financial 

holding  institution  that  controls  a  bank,  a  broker  dealer  and  other  financial 

90  |  91 

institutions in Mexico.  From October 2000 to March 2011, Mr. Castillo Sanchez 

Mejorada  was  the  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  and  Chief  Executive 

Officer  of  Ixe  Grupo  Financiero,  S.A.B.  de  C.V.,  a  Mexican  financial  holding 

company that merged into GFNorte in April 2011. In addition, from March 2007 

to March 2009, Mr. Castillo Sanchez Mejorada was the President of the Mexican 

Banking Association (Asociacion de Bancos de Mexico).  Currently, Mr. Castillo 

Sanchez Mejorada is Chairman of the Board of Banco Nacional de Mexico, S.A. 

(Citibanamex), one of the largest banks in Mexico, and member of the board of 

Grupo Financiero Citibanamex, where he serves as a member of the practices 

committee and audit committee.  He serves as an independent director on the 

board of directors of (i) Grupo Herdez, S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican holding company 

for  the  manufacture,  sale  and  distribution  of  food  products;  (ii)  Alfa,  S.A.B.  de 

C.V., a Mexico-based holding company that, through its subsidiaries, is engaged 

in  the  petrochemical,  food  processing,  automotive  and  telecommunication 

sectors.  Mr.  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada  also  serves  as  a  member  of  the  audit 

committee;  (iii)  Medica  Sur,  S.A.B.  de  C.V.,  a  Mexico-based  company  engaged 

in  the  hospital  business;  and  (iv)  Laboratorios  Sanfer,  S.A.  de  C.V.,  one  of  the 

leading  companies  in  the  Mexican  pharmaceutical  market.  He  is  also  a  Senior 

Advisor  for  General  Atlantic  in  Mexico,  a  private  equity  firm  based  out  of  New 

York.  Mr.  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada  holds  a  Bachelor’s  degree  in  Business 

Administration from the Anahuac University, in Mexico City, Mexico. 

Mr.  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada  became  a  member  of  our  Audit  Committee  on 

April 18, 2013.  He brings to the Company more than 44 years of experience in 

the  financial  sector  as  well  as  the  leadership  experience  and  expertise  he  has 

attained as independent director of other companies.

Leonardo Contreras Lerdo de Tejada, Director. Mr. Leonardo Contreras Lerdo 

de Tejada has been a director of the Company since May 2021. He joined AMC on 

September 10, 2018. He was appointed President of ASARCO in January 2019, 

Director  for  Commercial  and  Supply  Chain  of  AMC  in  August  2019,  President 

of  IMMSA,  a  subsidiary  of  the  Company  that  integrates  the  underground 

operations, in August 2020, and CFO of Americas Mining Corporation in January 

2022. Mr. Contreras Lerdo de Tejada has more than 10 years of experience in 

private equity, investment banking, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Contreras Lerdo 

de  Tejada  holds  a  BS  in  Industrial  Engineering  from  Universidad  Anahuac  in 

Mexico City and earned an MBA degree from The University of Chicago Booth 

School of Business. 

91 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Mr.  Leonardo  Contreras  Lerdo  de  Tejada  brings  to  the  Company  his 

operating,  human  capital,  and  financial  skills  as  well  as  more  than 

10  years  of  experience  in  private  equity,  investment  banking  and 

entrepreneurship.

Xavier  Garcia  de  Quevedo Topete,  Director.  Mr.  Garcia  de  Quevedo 

has  been  a  director  of  the  Company  since  November  1999.  He  was 

our  Chief  Operating  Officer  from  April  12,  2005  until  April  23,  2015. 

Since November 1, 2014, Mr. Garcia de Quevedo Topete has served as 

the  President  of  the  infrastructure  division  of  Grupo  Mexico,  which  is 

comprised of the energy, gas, oil and construction subsidiaries of Grupo 

Mexico.      He  is  also  Vice-chairman  of  Grupo  Mexico.  Additionally,  Mr. 

Garcia  de  Quevedo  was  the  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 

Southern Copper Minera Mexico from September 2001 until November 

1, 2014. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Americas 

Mining Corporation from September 7, 2007 to October 31, 2014.  From 

December  2009  to  June  2010,  he  was  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive 

Officer of Asarco LLC.  Previously he was President of Asarco LLC from 

November 1999 to September 2001. Mr. Garcia de Quevedo began his 

professional  career  in  1969  with  Grupo  Mexico.  He  was  President  of 

Grupo  Ferroviario  Mexicano,  S.A.  de  C.V.  and  of  Ferrocarril  Mexicano, 

S.A.  de  C.V.  from  December  1997  to  December  1999,  and  Executive 

Vice President of Exploration and Development of Grupo Mexico from 

1994  to  1997.  He  has  been  a  director  of  Grupo  Mexico  since  April 

2002.  He  was  also  Vice  President  of  Grupo  Condumex,  S.A.  de  C.V. 

(telecommunications,  electronics  and  automotive  parts  producer)  for 

eight  years.  Mr.  Garcia  de  Quevedo  was  the  Chairman  of  the  Mining 

Chamber  of  Mexico  from  November  2006  to  August  2009.  He  is  a 

chemical engineer with a degree from the UNAM in Mexico City, Mexico. 

He  also  attended  a  continuous  business  administration  and  finance 

program at the Technical Institute of Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.

Mr.  Garcia  de  Quevedo  contributes  his  extensive  business  experience 

and leadership,  industry knowledge, skills to motivate high-performing 

talent, and general management skills to the Company. During his more 

than  45  years  of  experience  as  an  executive  with  Grupo  Mexico  and 

subsidiaries, he was responsible for developing the integration strategy 

92  |  93 

Copper discharge in La Caridad 

Metallurgical Complex - Sonora, Mexico

Anode wheel, Ilo 

smelter - Moquegua, Peru

93 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

of Grupo Mexico. He was directly responsible for the development of the copper 

smelter, refinery, precious metal and rod plants of Grupo Mexico. Mr. Garcia de 

Quevedo also headed the process for the acquisition of railroad concessions for 

Grupo  Mexico,  the  formation  of  Grupo  Ferroviario  Mexicano,  S.A.  de  C.V.,  and 

its partnership with Union Pacific. Previously, he had a distinguished career as 

Vice President of sales and marketing for Grupo Condumex, S.A. de C.V., where 

among other achievements, he was responsible for the formation of a division 

for the sale, marketing and distribution of products in the United States and Latin 

America and where he headed the Telecommunications division. Mr. Garcia de 

Quevedo also contributes to the Company the diversified business experience 

he  gained  from  having  served  on  the  boards  of  different  Mexican  and  United 

States companies and as Chairman of the Mining Chamber of Mexico.

Luis  Miguel  Palomino  Bonilla,  Special  Independent  Director.  Dr.  Palomino 

has been a director of the Company since March 19, 2004. Dr. Palomino is the 

President of the Peruvian Economics Institute (a think tank) since April of 2022, 

after  having  served  as  Director,  Consultant,  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  since 

January  2007.    He  has  also  been  Director  of  the  Master’s  in  Finance  Program 

at the University of the Pacific in Lima, Peru since July 2009, Dr. Palomino has 

been a member of the board of directors of Laboratorios Portugal (personal care 

products manufacturer) since September 2017 and a member of the board of 

directors of Summa Capital, S. A. (corporate consulting firm) since April 2014. 

He has been a director of Mall Aventura, S.A. since March 2021 and an Associate 

of  the  Instituto  Educacional  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt  since  December  2022. 

Dr. Palomino was a member of the board of directors and Vice-chairman of the 

Central Bank of Peru (Banco Central de Reserva del Peru) from September 2016 

to    October  2021.  He  was  the  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Aventura 

Plaza, S.A. (commercial real estate developer and operator) from January  2008 

to June 2016, Partner of Profit Consultoria e Inversiones (a financial consulting 

firm) from July 2007 to July 2016, and a member of the board of directors and 

chairman of the audit committee of the Bolsa de Valores de Lima (Lima Stock 

Exchange) from March 2013 to July 2016. Dr. Palomino was Principal and Senior 

Consultant  of  Proconsulta  International  (financial  consulting)  from  September 

2003  to  June  2007.  He  was  First  Vice  President  and  Chief  Economist,  Latin 

America,  for  Merrill  Lynch,  Pierce,  Fenner  &  Smith,  New  York  (investment 

banking) from 2000 to 2002. He was Chief Executive Officer, Senior Country and 

94  |  95 

Equity Analyst of Merrill Lynch, Peru (investment banking) from 1995 to 2000. 

Dr. Palomino has held various positions with banks and financial institutions as 

an economist, financial advisor and analyst. He has a PhD in finance from the 

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

and graduated from the Economics Program of the University of the Pacific in 

Lima, Peru.  

Dr.  Palomino  is  a  member  of  our  Audit  Committee  and  a  special  independent 

director  nominee.    He  is  also  our  “audit  committee  financial  expert,”  as  the 

term is defined by the SEC. Dr. Palomino contributes to the Company through 

his  education  in  economics  and  finance,  acquired  from  extensive  academic 

studies, including a PhD in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of 

Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his expertise, his wise counsel, and 

the  extensive  business  experience  gained  from  his  past  and  current  activities 

while  serving  as  a  financial  analyst  in  multiple  sectors,  including  the  mining 

sectors of Mexico and Peru.

Gilberto  Perezalonso  Cifuentes,  Special 

Independent  Director.  Mr. 

Perezalonso has been a director of the Company since June 2002. Currently, Mr. 

Perezalonso is a member of the board of directors of Gigante, S.A. de C.V. (retail 

and  real  estate)  and  Blasky  (hotel  chain  in  Baja  California,  Mexico).  He  is  also 

National Vice President of the Cruz Roja Mexicana (Red Cross). Mr. Perezalonso 

was Chairman of the board of directors of Volaris Compañia de Aviacion, S.A.P.I. 

de C.V. (airline) from March 2, 2011 to November 2014. He was Chief Executive 

Officer of Corporacion Geo, S.A. de C.V. (housing construction) from February 

2006  to  February  2007.  Mr.  Perezalonso  was  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 

Aeromexico (Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.) (airline company) from 2004 until 

December 2005. From 1998 until April 2001, he was Executive Vice President 

of Administration and Finance of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (media company). From 

1980  until  February  1998,  Mr.  Perezalonso  held  various  positions  with  Grupo 

Cifra, S.A. de C.V. (retail and department stores), the most recent position being 

that of General Director of Administration and Finance. He was also a member 

of the Advisory Council of Banco Nacional de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (banking), the 

board of directors and the investment committee of Afore Banamex (banking), 

the board and the investment committee of Siefore Banamex No. 1 (banking), 

95 

SCC ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Masnegocio Co. S. de R.L. de C.V. (information technology), Intellego (technology), 

Telefonica  Moviles  Mexico,  S.A.  de  C.V.  (wireless  communication),  Marhnos 

Construction Company (housing construction), and Fomento de Investigacion 

y Cultura Superior, A.C. (Foundation of the Iberoamerican University in Mexico). 

Mr. Perezalonso was also a director of Cablevision, S.A. de C.V., and a member of 

the audit committee of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.  from March 1998 to September 

2009.  Mr. Perezalonso has a law degree from the Iberoamerican University in 

Mexico  City,  Mexico  and  a  Master’s  degree  in  Business  Administration  from 

the  Business  Administration  Graduate  School  for  Central  America  (INCAE)  in 

Nicaragua. Mr. Perezalonso has also attended a Corporate Finance program at 

Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Mr. Perezalonso is a member of our Audit Committee and a special independent 

director  nominee.    Mr.  Perezalonso  contributes  to  the  Company  the  legal  and 

financial  education  acquired  from  extensive  academic  studies,  including  a 

Master’s  degree  in  Business  Administration  from  INCAE  in  Nicaragua,  and  his 

business experience acquired serving in the financial areas of several companies 

and  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  different  companies.  Mr.  Perezalonso  also 

brings to the Board of Directors his informed judgment and diversified business 

experience, which as been gained from serving on boards of directors of different 

Mexican companies.

Carlos  Ruiz  Sacristan,  Special  Independent  Director.  Mr.  Ruiz  Sacristan  has 

been  a  director  of  the  Company  since  February  12,  2004.  Since  November 

2001, he has been the owner and Managing Partner of Proyectos Estrategicos 

Integrales,  a  Mexican  investment  banking  firm  specialized  in  agricultural, 

transport, tourism, and housing projects. Since January 2022, he has served as 

a strategic advisor to Sempra Infrastructure, an operating subsidiary of Sempra 

Energy. Mr. Ruiz Sacristan has held various distinguished positions in the Mexican 

government,  the  most  recent  being  that  of  Secretary  of  Communications  and 

Transportation  of  Mexico  from  1995  to  2000.  While  holding  that  position,  he 

was also Chairman of the board of directors of the Mexican-owned companies 

in  the  sector,  and  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  development  banks. 

Additionally, he was Chairman of the board of directors of Asarco LLC. Mr. Ruiz 

Sacristan  was  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  and  Executive  President  of 

96  |  97 

IEnova,  the  Mexican  operating  subsidiary  of  Sempra  Energy  from  September 

2020  to  Noviember  2021.      Mr.  Ruiz  Sacristan  was  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 

Sempra North American Infrastructure Group from 2018 until September 2020.  

Prior to this appointment, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IEnova 

from 2012 to 2018 and a member of the board of directors of Sempra Energy 

from 2007 to 2012. He is a member of the boards of directors of Constructora 

y Perforadora Latina, S.A. de C.V. (Mexican geothermal exploration and drilling 

company) and of Banco Ve Por Mas, S.A. (Mexican bank). Mr. Ruiz Sacristan holds 

a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Anahuac University in 

Mexico  City,  Mexico,  and  a  Master’s  degree  in  Business  Administration  from 

Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Ruiz Sacristan is one of our special independent director nominees. Mr. Ruiz 

Sacristan contributes to the Company his extensive business studies, including 

a  Master’s  Degree  in  Business  Administration  from  Northwestern  University 

in Chicago, Illinois, his investment banking experience and his broad business 

experience as a former Chief Executive Officer of PEMEX (Mexican oil company), 

combined with his distinguished career in the Mexican government as a former 

Secretary  of  Communications  and  Transport  of  Mexico  and  as  a  director  of 

Mexican-owned  enterprises  and  financial  institutions.  Mr.  Ruiz  Sacristan  also 

brings  to  the  Board  of  Directors  informed  judgment  and  diversified  business 

experience gained from serving on the board of directors and of the audit, and 

environmental  and  technology  committees  of  Sempra  Energy,  a  Fortune  500 

energy service company, based in San Diego, California; as the former Chairman 

of Asarco LLC; and as the Chief Executive Officer of IEnova.

 
97 

Ilo Smelter - Moquegua, 

Peru

98  |   99 

Executive 
officers

GERMAN LARREA MOTA-VELASCO

Chairman of the Board of Directors

OSCAR GONZALEZ ROCHA 

President and Chief Executive Officer

RAUL JACOB RUISANCHEZ

Vice President, Finance Treasurer  

and Chief Financial Officer

EDGARD CORRALES AGUILAR

Vice President, Exploration

JORGE LAZALDE PSIHAS

Secretary

ANDRES FERRERO GHISLIERI

General Counsel

LINA VINGERHOETS VILCA

Comptroller

RAUL VACA CASTRO

General Auditor

99 

Mill maintenance 

work

100  |  

101 

CONTROLLED COMPANIES- AFFINITY AND INBREEDING 

A company with more than 50% of the voting power held by a one single entity 

is  a  “controlled  company”,  and  does  not  need  to  comply  with  the  Corporate 

Governance  requirements  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  (“NYSE”),  which 

requires  a  majority  of  independent  directors  and  independent  Compensation 

and Nomination/Corporate Governance committees.  

SCC  is  a  controlled  company  as  defined  by  the  rules  of  the  NYSE.  Grupo 

Mexico  owns  indirectly  88.9%  of  the  stock  of  the  Company,  as  of  December 

31,  2022.      The  Company  has  taken  advantage  of  the  exceptions  to  comply 

with  the  corporate  governance  rules  of  the  NYSE.    The  Board  of  Directors  of 

the  Company  determined  that  Messrs.  Luis  Miguel  Palomino  Bonilla,  Gilberto 

Perezalonso  Cifuentes,  and  Carlos  Ruiz  Sacristan,  the  three  members  of  the 

Company’s Audit Committee, are independent of management and financially 

literate in accordance with the requirements of the NYSE and the Securities and 

Exchange  Commission  (“SEC”),  as  such  requirements  are  interpreted  by  the 

Company’s  Board  of  Directors  in  its  business  judgment.  Additionally,  Messrs. 

Vicente Ariztegui Andreve and Enrique Castillo Sanchez Mejorada are our fourth 

and fifth independent directors. 

At  its  meeting  on  April  28th,  2022,  the  Board  of  Directors  determined  that 

Messrs.  Luis  Miguel  Palomino  Bonilla,  Gilberto  Perezalonso  Cifuentes,  Carlos 

Ruiz  Sacristan,  Vicente  Ariztegui  Andreve,  Enrique  Castillo  Sanchez  Mejorada 

and  Rafael  Mac  Gregor  Anciola  continue  to  be  independent  of  management, 

in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  NYSE  as  such  requirements  are 

interpreted by our Board of Directors in its business judgment.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD

SCC’s Board of Directors has organized the following Special Committees:

1.  Executive Committee. It is comprised of five members who substitute for the 

Board when sessions or decisions are required concerning urgent matters or 

matters for which the Board would have expressly delegated its mandate.

2.   Audit Committee. It is comprised of three independent Board members who 

are  knowledgeable  in  accounting  and  financial  matters.  Its  main  purpose 

101 

is  to:  (a)  assist  the  Board  in  monitoring  (i)  the  quality  and  integrity  of  the 

Company’s financial statements; (ii) the qualifications and independence of 

the independent auditors; (iii) the performance of the internal audit function 

and  of  the  independent  auditors;  and  (iv)  the  Company’s  compliance  with 

legal and regulatory requirements; and (b) prepare the report required by the 

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules.

3.   Compensation Committee.  It is comprised of four Board members and its 

principal objective is to evaluate and establish the remunerations of principal 

officers and key employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.

4.   Special  Nominating  Committee.    It  is  comprised  of  two  independents 

Board members, and one nominated by the Board and it has the exclusive 

authority to propose and evaluate individuals who are proposed as special 

independents directors.  

5.   Corporate Governance Committee.  It is comprised of four Board members 

and has as its primary functions to consider and make recommendations to 

the Board concerning the appropriate function and needs of the Board, to 

develop  and  recommend  to  the  Board  corporate  governance  principles  of 

SCC, to oversee evaluation of the Board and management, and to oversee 

and  review  compliance  with  the  disclosure  and  reporting  standards  of 

the  Company  that  require  full,  fair,  accurate,  timely,  and  understandable 

disclosure  of  material  information  regarding  the  Company  in  reports  and 

documents  that  it  files  with  the  SEC,  the  NYSE  and  equivalent  authorities 

in the countries in which the Company operates, as well as in other public 

communications that it regularly makes. 

6.   Administrative  Committee. 

It 

is  designated  by  the  Named  Fiduciary 

appointed  by  the  Board  for  the  benefit  plans  as  required  by  the  Employee 

Retirement Income Security Act – ERISA of the United States.  ERISA is the 

law that covers employee retirement and other benefit plans for employees 

that are US citizens or residents The Named Fiduciary controls and manages 

the  Company’s  benefits  plans  subject  to  US  regulations,  including  ERISA. 

This  Officer  appoints  an  Administrative  Committee,  which  is  comprised  of 

three  management  members  and  its  purpose  is,  with  delegated  authority, 

to administer and manage said plans and to oversee the performance of the 

trust agents and other fiduciaries charged with investing the plans’ funds.

102  |  

103 

Administration and board income

Total  remunerations  of  Board  and  Administration  members,  in  relation  to  the 

Company´s gross income is 0.11%.

Annual meeting

The annual meeting will be hold on May 26th, 2023, at 9:00 hour in Mexico City. 

Corporate Offices:

United States

Mexico

Peru

7310 North 16th, Suite 135
Phoenix, AZ 85020, USA
Phone: +1(602) 264-1375

Campos Eliseos No. 400,  
11 floor, 
Col. Lomas de Chapultepec 
Mexico D.F.
Phone +(52-55) 1103-5000, 
Extension 35855

Caminos del Inca Avenue  
N° 171
Chacarilla del Estanque
Santiago de Surco, 
Cod. Postal 15038, Peru
Phone: +(511) 512-0440, Ext. 
63181

Transfer Agent, Registrar and Stockholder Services

Computershare

480 Washington Boulevard

Jersey City, NJ 07310-1900

Phone: +1(866)230-0172

Dividend Reinvestment Program

SCC  stockholders  can  have  their  dividends  automatically  reinvested  in  SCC 

common  shares.  SCC  pays  all  administrative  and  brokerage  fees.  This  plan  is 

administered by Computershare. For more information, contact Computershare 

at phone +1(866) 230-0172.

Stock Exchange Listing

The principal markets for SCC’s Common Stock are the New York Stock Exchange 

(“NYSE”)  and  the  Lima  Stock  Exchange  (“BVL”).  Effective  February  17,  2010, 

SCC’s Common Stock changed its symbol from PCU to SCCO on both the NYSE 

and the Lima Stock Exchange.

103 

Others

The  Branch  in  Peru  has  issued,  in  accordance  with  Peruvian  law,  ‘investment 

shares’  (formerly  named  labor  shares)  that  are  quoted  in  the  Lima  Stock 

Exchange under the symbol SPCCPI1 and SPCCPI2.

Transfer  Agent,  registrar  and  stockholders  services  to  the  SCC  Common  and 

Investment shareholders are provided by Credicorp Capital, at Av. El Derby 055, 

Tower 4, 10th floor, Santiago de Surco, Lima, Peru (Cod. Postal 15038-Peru.

Phone +(511) 313-2478.

OTHER CORPORATE INFORMATION

For  other  information  on  the  corporation  or  to  obtain  additional  copies  of  the 

annual  report,  Form  10-K  2022  (free  of  charge)  contact  to  Investor  Relations 

Department at our corporate offices:

USA: 

7310 North 16th, Suite 135 

Phoenix, AZ 85020, USA

Phone: +(602) 264-1375 

Mexico: 

Campos Eliseos N° 400, 11 floor 

Col. Lomas de Chapultepec,

Mexico D.F.

Phone: +(52-55) 1103-5000, Anexo 35855

Peru: 

Caminos del Inca Avenue N° 171 (B-2), 

Chacarilla del Estanque, Santiago de Surco

Cod postal 15038 - Peru. 

Phone: + (511) 512-0440, Anexo 63181

Web page: www.southerncoppercorp.com 

Email address: southerncopper@southernperu.com.pe

104  |  

105 

Members of the 
Board of Directors

GERMAN LARREA MOTA-VELASCO

OSCAR GONZALEZ ROCHA

VICENTE ARIZTEGUI ANDREVE

ENRIQUE CASTILLO SANCHEZ MEJORADA

LEONARDO CONTRERAS LERDO DE TEJADA

XAVIER GARCIA DE QUEVEDO TOPETE

LUIS MIGUEL PALOMINO BONILLA

GILBERTO PEREZALONSO CIFUENTES

CARLOS RUIZ SACRISTAN

AUDIT COMMITTEE

LUIS MIGUEL PALOMINO BONILLA

Chairman

VICENTE ARIZTEGUI ANDREVE 

ENRIQUE CASTILLO SANCHEZ MEJORADA

 
105 

Birds at the Ite wetland, 

Tacna, Peru

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TENACITY AND 
CONFIDENCE