Peru’s mining and energy ministry said on Thursday that the country’s production of copper, zinc, silver and gold reached new record levels in 2008, despite the fall in metals prices in the final quarter of the year. Tin output also increased marginally from the previous year, to 39,037 tonnes, although it remained below the record level of just over 42,000 tonnes set in 2005. All the country’s tin production comes from Minsur SA’s San Rafael mine.
Peru is the world’s largest producer of silver, number two in copper and zinc, third in tin and often ranks fifth in gold output. In December, Peru’s copper, zinc and silver outputs rose, while tin and gold production fell compared to the same month in 2007. Mining exports account for more than half of the country’s total exports and are the government’s biggest source of revenue.
