First Quantum’s Cobre Panama Arbitration Delayed to 2026
First Quantum Minerals announced on Tuesday that the final hearing for the Cobre Panama mine arbitration under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has been postponed to February 2026 from its previously scheduled date in September 2024.
The Cobre Panama mine, one of the world’s largest copper producers, was shut down in November 2023 after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled its contract unconstitutional. Widespread environmental protests further pressured authorities to close the operation.
The Canadian miner stated that the Panamanian government requested an extension of its arbitration submission deadlines due to the replacement of external legal counsel and the need for the incoming administration to review the mine’s status.
In 2023, Reuters reported that First Quantum had introduced a voluntary retirement program for mine workers while awaiting a government decision on potentially restarting operations.
