Peru's copper, gold, tin and molybdenum production fell in August, while silver, zinc and lead output rose year on year, the government said Tuesday.
Copper production dropped 10.2% year on year to 118,598 mt in August, as an 8.5% slide in output at the Antamina mine and lower production by Southern Copper as well as Freeport-McMoRan's Cerro Verde mine offset an addition of 38,805 mt from Chinalco's recently inaugurated Toromocho mine, the energy and mines ministry said in an e-mailed statement.
Gold output declined 16.2% year on year to 12,513 kg after a 21.6% drop in production at Newmont's Yanacocha mine countered gains at mines operated by Barrick and Buenaventura, the ministry said. Output has also fallen following a government clampdown on illegal gold miners in the Amazon.
Molybdenum production edged down 3.2% to 1,555 mt on declines at Antamina and Cerro Verde during August, according to the ministry.
Peru's only tin producer Minsur posted a 19.4% year-on-year drop in the metal's output to 1,795 mt, according to the ministry.
Tungsten production fell 22.4% to 2 mt, while cadmium output from Votorantim Metais' Cajamarquilla refinery slid 6.3% to 59 mt.
Silver output rose 4.2% to 328,843 kg as Volcan started up its Alpamarca mine, while zinc production jumped 25.2% to 135,665 mt due to production gains at Antamina, Volcan and Glencore unit Los Quenuales. Lead output rose 20.8% to 24,764 mt.
Minerals account for about 60% of Peru's total exports. Peru is the world's third largest copper, zinc and tin producer, No. 2 in silver and ranked fifth in gold.
