UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
6-K
REPORT
OF
FOREIGN ISSUER
PURSUANT
TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16
OF
THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Includes
the free translation of a material event sent by Sociedad Química y
Minera
de
Chile S.A. to the Chilean Superintendency of Securities and
Insurance
(Superintendencia
de Valores y Seguros de Chile) on October 30, 2008.
SOCIEDAD
QUIMICA Y MINERA DE CHILE S.A.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
CHEMICAL
AND MINING COMPANY OF CHILE INC.
(Translation
of registrant's name into English)
El
Trovador 4285, Santiago, Chile (562) 425-2000
(Address
and phone number of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F
x
Form
40-F
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained
in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes
¨
No
x.
If
"Yes"
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82___________
Santiago,
October 30, 2008.
Mr.
Guillermo Larraín R.
Superintendent
Superintendency
of Securities and Insurance
Avda.
Lib. Bernardo O'Higgins 1449
Santiago
ESSENTIAL
ISSUE
Dear
Mr.
Superintendent:
We
hereby
inform you that the Board of Directors of Sociedad Química y Minera S.A. (SQM),
at its meeting held on October 28, 2008, agreed to authorize the Company to
issue and register two lines of bonds (with a first and second issuance to
be
charged to the first line and a first issuance to be charged to the second
line)
before the Chilean Superintendency of Securities and Insurance. The first line
will be for a maximum amount of five million Unidades
de Fomento
(UF – an
inflation-indexed, Chilean-peso-denominated monetary unit) and will have a
maturity of up to 10 years. The second line will be for a maximum amount of
UF 5
million and will have a maturity of up to 30 years. Despite the foregoing,
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. may only issue bonds for a maximum
amount of UF 5 million (or the equivalent in U.S. dollars), considering the
combined total of the first and second issuances charged to the first line
and
the first issuance charged to the second line.
The
amounts obtained through such lines will be used for the following: (i) the
payment and/or pre-payment of the short- and/or long-term liabilities of
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. and/or its subsidiaries, regardless of
whether such liabilities are denominated in local or foreign currency; and/or
(ii) the financing of the capital expenditures of the Company and/or its
subsidiaries that are identified in each issuance to be charged to the
respective line, in the proportions that will be indicated in each of the
relevant issuances.
We
hereby
inform you of the above as a material event in compliance with Articles 9 and
10
of Law No. 18.045, and General Standard No. 30 issued by the Superintendency
of
Securities and Insurance on November 10, 1989.
We
remain
at your disposal to clarify any additional aspects that you may deem relevant
in
relation to the above.
Very
truly yours,
Sociedad
Química y Minera de Chile S.A.
|
Conf: /s/
Patricio Contesse G.
|
|
Patricio
Contesse G.
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
| Cc: |
Santiago
Stock Exchange
|
Brokers
Stock Exchange
Electronic
Stock Exchange
New
York Stock Exchange
Securities
and Exchange
Commission
The
Bank of New York
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
SOCIEDAD
QUIMICA Y MINERA DE CHILE S.A.
|
Conf:
/s/ Ricardo Ramos R.
|
|
Ricardo
Ramos R.
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
Date:
October 30, 2008