Bolivia holds the world's largest lithium reserves (Salar de Uyuni) and significant tin production through Vinto smelter. But BCB's strict FX controls and Bolivia's landlocked geography create dual friction: commodity ships via Chilean (Arica) or Peruvian (Ilo) Pacific ports, while payment routes through La Paz's constrained correspondent banking. LCORE's gold DVP solves the payment side: Chinese buyer deposits gold in Abu Dhabi escrow, lithium or tin concentrates ship from Pacific port, BL confirms departure, gold releases in 2-3 days. State-entity counterparties accommodated.
Request ConsultationWhen BOB payments are blocked by correspondent banking compliance, LCORE's gold DVP provides a neutral Abu Dhabi alternative. Bolivian gas and mining exporters can deposit physical gold into DVP escrow -- commodity delivers -- payment in BOB confirms -- gold releases. 2-3 working days.
ADGM English Law governs. Lloyd's $200M insurance throughout. UAE geopolitically neutral -- not subject to US, EU, or UK sanctions regime.
Confidential. Min $5M. ADGM 28158.
Bolivia holds the world's largest known lithium reserves, concentrated in the Salar de Uyuni salt flat — estimated at 21 million tonnes of lithium content — positioning the country as a critical supplier for global battery supply chains. Zinc from the Cerro Rico de Potosí region historically made Bolivia a top-five global producer; the San Cristóbal mine remains one of the world's largest zinc-silver operations. Tin smelting at Vinto produces refined tin for Asian electronics manufacturers. Natural gas from the Tarija fields exports to Brazil (Petrobras pipeline) and Argentina, representing the largest hard-currency earner after minerals. Silver, gold, and antimony round out the mineral export portfolio. Soy and quinoa from the Santa Cruz agricultural belt target Brazilian, Argentine, and European buyers. Bolivia's commodity export concentration in lithium, zinc, and gas creates large bilateral trade flows with Brazil, China, and Argentina that require reliable settlement structures.
The Boliviano (BOB) operates under a fixed exchange rate pegged to the USD at approximately BOB 6.91, maintained by the Banco Central de Bolivia (BCB). Bolivia's declining international reserves — which fell from $15B in 2014 to under $2B by 2023 — have created an underlying USD liquidity crisis. Commercial banks face hard currency shortages, resulting in USD payment queues. Gas revenue declined as Brazilian demand contracted post-2019. Foreign mining companies operating in Bolivia have faced payment delays when repatriating USD proceeds due to BCB foreign exchange rationing. Bolivia's nationalisation of strategic industries (YPFB, YLB) creates counterparty risk for buyers accustomed to private-sector contract structures. The country's limited international bank correspondent network creates payment routing constraints for Asian buyers. LCORE's gold DVP provides Bolivian commodity sellers with a settlement mechanism that operates independently of Bolivia's USD reserve constraints.