After mass protests and a court ruling led to its Cobre Panama copper mine shutdown in 2023, First Quantum Minerals announced that copper concentrate will be exported to generate funds for preservation and environmental protection measures under a government-approved maintenance plan. The move aims to ensure safe management of the inactive site.

On May 31, 2025, First Quantum Minerals, through its subsidiary Panama Copper, reached an agreement with Panama’s Congress allowing the export of over 120,000 tons of previously mined copper concentrate. The deal was framed as a measure to fund maintenance and environmental protection of a closed open‐pit mine, amidst widespread protests and political contention over earlier negotiations and constitutional challenges.

First Quantum Minerals has formally withdrawn its arbitration claims against Panama following the closure of the Cobre Panama mine at the end of 2023, as confirmed by the Panamanian government.

First Quantum Minerals announced a public mine tour program for the Cobre Panama mine despite it being closed since 2023 due to an environmental dispute with the Panamanian government. The Panama Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated that the visits were unauthorized and might compromise an ongoing independent audit of the mine’s environmental impact.

A recent report from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre highlights that First Quantum Minerals is among the ten companies linked to over half of the human rights violations allegations in the mining sector. The allegations include forced relocation of Indigenous peoples, water pollution, and worker rights abuses, raising concerns over the company's responsible mining practices in the supply chain of transition minerals.

A recent report commissioned by Panamanian organizations details serious human rights violations linked to protests at First Quantum Minerals’ Panama copper mine, including excessive police force, arbitrary detentions, injuries, and fatalities. Despite the report, the Canadian government has announced its full support for the company, and First Quantum plans to reopen the mine with Panama’s newly elected administration.

Following a ruling by Panama’s supreme court and widespread protests from labor unions and environmental groups over a controversial long-term contract, First Quantum Minerals has suspended commercial operations at its Cobre Panama mine. This suspension reflects the company's forced response to demands for greater public debate and legal oversight.

Panama's Supreme Court declared unconstitutional First Quantum Minerals' 20-year mining contract, which promised $375 million in annual revenue to Panama, following weeks of public protests and legal challenges over the contract's overly generous terms.

In November 2023, following a Supreme Court ruling that declared its operating contract unconstitutional due to environmental and contractual concerns, First Quantum Minerals' Cobre Panama copper mine was shut down. In response, the company initiated International Chamber of Commerce arbitration proceedings and implemented a voluntary retirement scheme to safeguard its workforce and preserve site infrastructure amid legal and regulatory uncertainties.