Andina

Peru copper output doubles as prices improve

Explotación minera. Foto: ANDINA/ archivo.

Explotación minera. Foto: ANDINA/ archivo.

10:35 | Lima, Sep. 9.

Peru has doubled its copper production over the last months due to favorable international prices, the National Confederation of Private Business Associations (Confiep) affirmed.

Confiep President Roque Benavides said copper and gold prices have gone up due to international conditions, a situation that, combined with higher [mining] production, Peru might benefit from.

"Peru has increased its production. For instance, it has gone from 1.2 million to 2.5 million tons of copper," he said.

Producción de cobre

Production and efficiency

He went on to say mining does not have control over mineral prices but can handle production and efficiency costs. Therefore, this sector requires competitiveness: good roads, communications, in other words, infrastructure.

Additionally, mining needs human resources and talented people trained by universities to contribute to greater efficiency, he told Andina news agency.

"All these aspects help Peru benefit from any rise in metal prices [outside the country] since no benefit can be obtained without efficiency," Benavides emphasized.

(END) MMG/JJN/RMB

Published: 9/9/2017