Fertiliser giant Chile has accused Chilean lithium miner SQM of contributing to the sale of Nutrien 's stake in SQM to China 's Tianqi Lithium because Tianqi is a Chinese company . SQM only recently raised concerns over the sale of the shares , saying it was , " in a situation where it would have to receive a direct competitor as a shareholder , which although it is not illegal , presents risks and challenges to free competition . " The SQM share sale is part of a divestment process required by regulators following Nutrien 's exit through the 2018 merger of Potash Corp and Agrium .
Fertiliser giant Nutrien has accused Chilean lithium miner SQM of objecting to the sale of Nutrien's stake in SQM to China's Tianqi Lithium because Tianqi is a Chinese company. SQM only recently raised concerns over the sale of the shares, saying it was, "in a situation where it will have to receive a direct competitor as a shareholder, which although it is not illegal, presents risks and challenges to free competition." The SQM share sale is part of a divestment process required by regulators following Nutrien's creation through the 2018 merger of Potash Corp and Agrium.