Reflecting the slowdown in global production in the face of bulging inventories, Colombia's exports of ferronickel, a processed metal used in the production of stainless steel, declined to 9,994 metric tons in June, down 12.2% from the 11,378 mt produced in the same month last year, according to statistical agency DANE.
The June export figure was off an even sharper, 29.8%, when compared with the 14,241 mt exported in May, according to the DANE data released Monday.
Virtually all of Colombia's ferronickel output is produced at the Cerro Matoso mine in northern Cordoba province, which is owned and operated by BHP Billiton, and where production has slowed as global prices have declined in recent months.
