Lockdowns across Chile, Peru and Mexico, including the closure of some of the world’s largest copper mines, were a key factor behind a 3.7 percent collective decline in copper output from the world’s top 10 producers in the second quarter 2020, from 2.7 million tonnes (Mt) to 2.6Mt. Overall production of copper is forecast to drop by 1.5 percent in 2020, falling to 20.3Mt, according to GlobalData.
The largest decline in the second quarter was observed from Glencore, where production fell by 13.9 percent year-on-year (YOY) due to lower ore grades and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak — particularly at the Antamina mine, which also reduced BHP’s output.
Vinneth Bajaj, senior mining analyst at GlobalData, said, “Lower ore grades at BHP’s Pampa Norte [Spence and Cerro Colorado mines], Antofagasta’s Centinela Concentrates and lower rates at KGHM’s Robinson and Franke mines were key factors behind the declines in the other major producers output dur