Silver Bull Provides Update On Its Arbitration Case Against Mexico

Associated Press

30-04-2025

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / Silver Bull Resources, Inc. (OTCQB:SVBL)(TSX:SVB) ('Silver Bull' or the 'Company') provides an update on the progress of its international arbitration claim against the United Mexican States ('Mexico').
Silver Bull announces that it has filed its Reply to Mexico's Counter-Memorial in the arbitration that Silver Bull initiated on 28 June 2023 under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ('USMCA') and the North American Free Trade Agreement ('NAFTA') before the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes ('ICSID'). Under the current schedule, Mexico now has until August 26, 2025 to file its Rejoinder before the case proceeds to a hearing, which will commence on October 6, 2025.
A summary of the key points of Silver Bull's claim is provided below:
Silver Bull's CEO, Mr. Tim Barry commented, 'While Silver Bull had intended to continue developing the Sierra Mojada Project, an illegal blockade initiated in September 2019 by a small group of local miners - seeking to extort an unearned royalty payment from the Company has persisted to this day. Despite obtaining a favorable ruling from the Mexican courts dismissing the group's royalty claims, and despite repeated requests for the Mexican Government to enforce the law and remove the illegal blockade, the Government has continuously elected not to act. As a result, Silver Bull has been denied access to the site for more than five years, preventing the Company from conducting its lawful business activities in Mexico. This has led to the complete loss of Silver Bull's investment and the destruction of shareholder value at Sierra Mojada. The Mexican Government's actions and inactions directly drove investors away and effectively expropriated the Sierra Mojada Project.'.
BACKGROUND TO THE CLAIM: The arbitration has been initiated under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States process, which falls under the auspices of the World Bank's ICSID, to which Mexico is a signatory.
Silver Bull officially notified Mexico on March 2, 2023 of its intention to initiate an arbitration owing to Mexico's breaches of NAFTA by unlawfully expropriating Silver Bull's investments without compensation, failing to provide Silver Bull and its investments with fair and equitable treatment or full protection and security, and not upholding NAFTA's national treatment standard.
Silver Bull held a meeting with Mexican government officials in Mexico City on May 30, 2023, in an attempt to explore amicable settlement options and avoid arbitration. However, the 90-day period for amicable settlement under NAFTA expired on June 2, 2023, without a resolution.
Despite repeated demands and requests for action by the Company, Mexico's governmental agencies have allowed the unlawful blockade to continue, thereby failing to protect Silver Bull's investments. Consequently, Silver Bull is seeking to recover an amount of US$374.9M (including interest) in damages that it has suffered due to Mexico's breach of its obligations under NAFTA.
THE SIERRA MOJADA DEPOSIT: Silver Bull's only asset is the Sierra Mojada deposit located in Coahuila, Mexico. Sierra Mojada is an open pittable oxide deposit with a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated 'global' Mineral Resource of 70.4 million tonnes grading 3.4% zinc and 38.6 g/t silver for 5.35 billion pounds of contained zinc and 87.4 million ounces of contained silver. Included within the 'global' Mineral Resource is a Measured and Indicated 'high grade zinc zone' of 13.5 million tonnes with an average grade of 11.2% zinc at a 6% cutoff, for 3.336 billion pounds of contained zinc, and a Measured and Indicated 'high grade silver zone' of 15.2 million tonnes with an average grade of 114.9 g/t silver at a 50 g/t cutoff for 56.3 million contained ounces of silver. Mineralization remains open in the east, west, and northerly directions.
For a full summary of the Sierra Mojada resource, please refer to Silver Bull's news release located at the following link:
https://www.silverbullresources.com/news/silver-bull-resources-announces-5.35-billion-pounds-zinc-87.4-million-ounces-silver-in-updated-sierra-mojada-measured-and/
On behalf of the Board of Directors
'Tim Barry'
Tim Barry, CPAusIMM
President and Chief Executive Officer and Director
INVESTOR RELATIONS:
1 604 687 5800 [email protected]
Cautionary note regarding forward looking statements: This news release may contain certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements include statements regarding the final approval of the Private Placement by the Exchange and other statements implying a future state which are usually accompanied by words such as 'anticipate', 'expect', 'believe', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'estimate', 'intend' or other similar words). Any forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide Silver Bull security holders and potential investors with information regarding Silver Bull, including management's assessment of Silver Bull's future plans and financial outlook. Any forward-looking statements reflect Silver Bull's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. As actual results could vary significantly from the forward-looking information, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking information and should not use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the Company's filings under Silver Bull's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this news release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
SOURCE: Silver Bull Resources, Inc.
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