Peru reports sharp drop in 2020 copper production due to pandemic

Reuters | February 8, 2021 | 9:23 am News Latin America Copper

The Antamina mine in Peru is one of the largest copper/zinc operations in the world. (Image courtesy of Teck Resources).

Peru’s copper production plunged 12.5% to 2.15 million tonnes in 2020, the country’s Energy and Mines Ministry said on Monday, driven down by coronavirus-related restrictions that hammered output in the world’s second-largest producer of the red metal.

The ministry said gold production also dipped 32% in 2020, to 87.3 million fine grams.

Peruvian health authorities required the country’s sprawling gold and copper mines to sharply reduce staff between mid-March and May, prompting the sharp drop in output.

The ministry added that zinc production had also fallen 5.3% to 1.33 million tonnes.

Mining is a major economic engine in Peru, accounting for nearly 60% of the Andean nation’s exports.

(By Marco Aquino and Dave Sherwood; Editing by Paul Simao)