Ruling issued by the Court of Appeals of Antofagasta

In response to the recent ruling issued by the Court of Appeals of Antofagasta, Andes Iron states that:

1. The ruling surprises and disappoints us, as we have been in the permitting process for 12 years and remain one of the iconic cases of Chile’s permitting system that remains unresolved. However, we want to be clear in stating that under no circumstances does this decision discourage us or alter our conviction to move forward with the Dominga Project.

2. The Court of Appeals’ ruling is strictly procedural and does not address the technical and environmental validity of the project, the sufficiency of the supporting documentation provided, or the merits of the substantive considerations previously discussed, all of which remain fully valid.

3. The Project has passed rigorous reviews by specialized agencies, incorporating demanding environmental standards and concrete social commitments for the Coquimbo

Region. Environmental justice and all environmental processes have indicated that Dominga complies with regulations.

4. ⁠Furthermore, the Court of Appeals’ ruling upholds the December 2024 decision of the First Environmental Court of Antofagasta (1TA), which declared the Committee of Ministers’ decision null and void on the grounds that it was unlawful. Regarding the Committee of Ministers’ resolution of January 2025, which included two supposedly new arguments for rejecting the Dominga project (threat to the algarrobilla and lack of a contingency plan), we are confident that these will, once again, be completely dismissed in the appropriate courts, as these are matters that had already been the subject of administrative and judicial discussion in previous proceedings and have therefore been dismissed by the administrative authority itself.

5. In this context, Andes Iron will carefully analyze all the legal alternatives provided for by the institutional framework, convinced that the Court of Appeals’ ruling is not supported by either the Supreme Court’s September 2025 ruling or applicable legislation.

6. We reiterate our commitment to sustainable development, promoting local employment and the progress of the Coquimbo Region and Chile, while protecting the environment. We will continue to work with transparency, dialogue, and strict adherence to regulations.