Peruvian export volumes of copper, zinc and lead rose in September, while gold, silver, tin and molybdenum shipments fell year on year, the government said.
Total metals export revenue fell 24.5% from a year earlier to $1.36 billion in September, the central bank said Wednesday in a statement posted on its website.
Copper shipments rose 3.6% to 132,100 mt from 127,500 mt a year earlier, the bank said. Chinalco and Hudbay Minerals are both ramping up output this year at new copper mines. Export revenue dropped 32.8% year on year to $569 million as prices fell to $1.95/lb from $3.01/lb.
Zinc shipments rose 22% to 95,000 mt from 78,000 mt a year ago, helping boost revenue by 2.5% to $111 million even as prices fell 16%. Lead shipments jumped 26.8% to 67,400 mt from 53,200 mt, while export revenues slid 0.5% to $105 million due to lower prices, according to the bank.
Gold exports fell 3.6% to 472,200 oz from 489,700 oz a year earlier, the bank said. Export revenue dropped 12.4% to $531 million as prices declined 9.2% to $1,125/oz from $1,239/oz, the bank said. Silver exports plunged 70% to 300,000 oz from 1 million oz a year earlier, as export revenue dropped 76% to $4 million on a 19% decline in prices.
Tin shipments from Minsur's San Rafael mine fell 22% to 1,700 mt from 2,100 mt while revenue halved to $23 million on price declines. Molybdenum shipments fell 10.6% to 900 mt from 1,000 mt, while export revenue dropped 67.6% to $9 million as prices declined, the bank said.
Peru is the world's third-largest copper, zinc and tin producer, second-ranked in silver and No. 5 in gold.
