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 29,
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
o
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 o 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 29, 2008
Mr.
Guillermo
Larraín R.
Superintendent
Securities
and Insurance Superintendency
Avda.
Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 1449
Santiago
Essential
Issue
Dear
Mr.
Superintendent:
We
hereby
inform you that on October 28, 2008, the Board of Directors of Sociedad Química
y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) unanimously agreed to partially modify the current
Dividend Policy for the 2008 Business Year, which was presented to shareholders
at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of SQM carried out on April 30 of this year.
This modification was made in order to pay and distribute an interim dividend
of
US$0.37994 per share -approximately US$100 million—on November 21, 2008. This
amount is less than 30% of the distributable net income recorded for the nine
months ended September 30, 2008. The interim dividend will be charged to net
income for the current business year and paid to shareholders of record as
of
the fifth business day prior to November 21, 2008. The payment amount will
be
the Chilean peso equivalent of US$0.37994 according to the Observed Exchanged
Rate published in the Official Gazette on Friday, November 14,
2008.
In
addition, the members of the Board unanimously agreed to announce that the
Board
will also include the payment of a single interim dividend in SQM’s Dividend
Policy for the 2009 Business Year -and future periods— which it will submit for
the approval of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in April 2009.
Such
interim dividend will be paid in November of 2009 and will not exceed the amount
of 30% of net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.
We
hereby
inform you of the above as a material event in compliance with Articles 9 and
10
of Law No. 18.045, SQM’s Dividend Policy for the 2008 Business Year, and
Circular Letters Nos. 660 and 687 and General Standard No. 30 issued by the
Superintendency of Securities and Insurance on October 22, 1986, February 13,
1987, and November 10, 1989, respectively.
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 29, 2008