CHILE · COMPANY NEWS
Key Facts
- Message Eduardo Navarro, chief executive of Chilean fuel and forestry group Empresas Copec, urged action on Monday 9 November.
- Quarter Copec earned US$289 million in July to September 2026, up about 46% from a year earlier.
- Nine months Profit for January to September reached US$1.001 billion, up 57.6%.
- Debt Net financial debt was 2.95 times adjusted EBITDA (operating cash earnings), lower than the previous quarter.
- Next Copec holds its results webcast on Friday 13 November 2026 at 13:00 Santiago time.
- Power Index Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 62.9 points (November 2026 edition).
Eduardo Navarro, chief executive of Chilean energy and forestry group Empresas Copec, said on Monday 9 November that Chile must now turn signals into actions. He made the call in a message for the group’s quarterly results, a video we could not confirm independently.
The message matters to US readers because Copec is a major listed company in what Navarro called a small, export-dependent economy. The group said on Thursday 5 November that its profit rose about 46% to US$289 million in the third quarter.
Who Copec Is
Empresas Copec is a Chilean holding company that owns the Copec fuel-station chain, Arauco, its forestry arm that makes pulp and panels, and the Abastible gas distributor. It also owns Terpel, a fuel distributor based in Colombia, and the Angelini family, one of Chile’s largest business families, controls it.
What Navarro Said About Chile
Navarro said in his message that the world is living through a long period of uncertainty, swings and geopolitical tensions. He listed trade wars, logistics, energy prices, inflation and higher interest rates as pressures on a small, export-dependent economy like Chile.
He expects 2026 to bring bad economic figures, different from what the group had thought. He blamed past bad public-policy decisions that led to low levels of investment, and said the word will be patience.
Growth, Jobs and Investment Approvals
Growth is back on the political agenda, Navarro said, citing a reconstruction bill and a capital-markets bill. He added that now Chile has to turn signals into actions.
He said more than one million people are unemployed, which he called a social drama. He asked for clear criteria, short times and timely handling of investment approvals, because delayed investment means fewer hires.
He also asked for less political confrontation and for agreements that outlast governments. He urged Chileans to celebrate when a company is created, invests or innovates, and said that if one wants to drive the country’s progress, the role of companies is required.
The Quarter Behind the Message
Copec earned US$289 million in July to September, up about 46% from a year earlier. Profit for the first nine months of 2026 was US$1.001 billion, up 57.6%.
Quarter EBITDA, a measure of operating cash earnings, was US$889 million, up 27.4%. Net financial debt stood at 2.95 times adjusted EBITDA, lower than in the previous quarter.
On the results, Navarro said they confirm the importance of a resilient portfolio of businesses. Copec released the figures on Thursday 5 November 2026.
Projects: Pulp, Panels and Charging
Sucuriú is the pulp project that Arauco, Copec’s forestry subsidiary, is building in Brazil. It was 81.1% complete at the end of September, 6.2 percentage points ahead of schedule.
Start-up is planned for the fourth quarter of 2027. Arauco is also finishing two panel plants, Zitácuaro in Mexico and Ñuble in Chile.
The message also noted a small, gradual recovery in pulp prices. It also touched on Copec’s electric-vehicle charging network, without giving figures.
What It Means for You
For US investors, the message is a read from the top of a major Latin American company on how trade wars and higher rates reach a small economy. It sits beside a quarter in which profit rose about 46%.
Readers can compare it with our report on Copec’s third-quarter results and our earlier coverage of the first-half profit and tie-up with the ride-hailing app Cabify. Those following the company’s legal risks can also read how Chile’s environmental regulator charged Copec over discharge limits at its Quintero marine terminal.
What Is Not Known
We could not open the video itself, so Navarro’s words come from Chilean press coverage of the message. The company’s full results report was also not available to us for a line-by-line check.
Whether Copec will give investment totals at its webcast on Friday 13 November 2026, at 13:00 in Santiago (11:00 US Eastern), is not known. The webcast is also the next chance to hear the group on its investment plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Copec’s chief executive say about Chile?
Eduardo Navarro said in a results message on Monday 9 November that Chile must turn signals into actions. He asked for faster investment approvals and less political confrontation.
How much did Empresas Copec earn in the third quarter of 2026?
Copec earned US$289 million in July to September 2026, up about 46% from a year earlier. Nine-month profit reached US$1.001 billion.
When does Arauco’s Sucuriú pulp mill start?
Arauco’s Sucuriú pulp project in Brazil is planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2027. It was 81.1% complete at the end of September.
When is the next Copec results webcast?
Copec holds its results webcast on Friday 13 November 2026 at 13:00 Santiago time, which is 11:00 US Eastern. We do not know yet whether it will give investment totals.
Sources: Empresas Copec investor relations, 3Q26 results release and webcast notice, 5 November 2026; Empresas Copec results message of 9 November 2026 (video, not independently opened).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error