CHILE July 28 2017 2:35 PM
LONDON (Scrap Register): Global copper mine production is estimated to have declined by around 3.5% in the first four months of 2017, with copper concentrate production declining by around 3% and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) declining by around 5%.
The decline in global copper mine production was mainly due to a 12% decline in production in Chile, the world’s biggest copper mine producing country, negatively affected by the strike at Escondida mine and lower output from Codelco mines.
A decline in Canada and Mongolia concentrates production of 19% and 22%, respectively, mainly due to lower grades in planned mining sequencing.
A 14% decline in Indonesian concentrate production as output was constrained by a temporary ban on concentrate exports that started in January and ended in April.
However overall decline was partially offset by a 13% and 7% rise in Mexican (concentrate and SX-EW) and Peruvian (concentrate) output, respectively, with both countries benefi tting from new and expanded capacity that was not yet fully available in the same period of last year.
On a regional basis, production rose by 4% in Europe (including Russia) and 7% in Oceania while declining by 6% in the Americas, 1.5% in Asia and 4% in Africa.
