Chile March Copper Output 502,106 Tons, Up 13.5% On Year
Thu, Apr 26 2007, 13:36 GMT
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Chile March Copper Output 502,106 Tons, Up 13.5% On Year
SANTIAGO (Dow Jones)--Chile's copper production jumped 13.5% on the year in March to 502,106 metric tons from 442,410 tons in the same month in 2006, Chile's government statistics agency, INE, reported Thursday.
In the first quarter, copper output increased 6.8% on the year to 1.34 million tons from 1.25 million tons.
Chile is the world's largest copper producer, accounting for some 37% of global output.
Supply issues have played a key role amid the metal's boom over the past few years.
The output of molybdenum, also a major export commodity, rose 8.3% to 3,919 tons from 3,619 tons in March of 2006.
In the first quarter, molybdenum output rose 2.7% to 9,740 tons from 9,480 tons in the same period last year.
INE's metallic mining index rose 11.2% on the year last month, while its non-metallic mining index plunged 9.7% in the same period, dragged lower by falls in iodine, coal, and sodium chloride mining, INE said.
INE Web site: ine.cl
-By Stephan Kueffner, Dow Jones Newswires; 56-2-460-8547; stephan.kueffner@dowjones.com (Patricia San Juan contributed to this report)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 26, 2007 09:36 ET (13:36 GMT) |
