Chile Has Mined 7% Less Copper So Far in 2026 Than Last Year
Chile mined 2.9 million tonnes of copper from January to July, down 7.1% and the weakest since 2003. The official forecast now needs a rebound. The post Chile Has Mined 7% Less Copper So Far in 2026 Than Last Year appeared first on The Rio Times .
Chile mined 7% less copper in the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. According to the statistics institute INE and the state copper commission Cochilco, Chile produced approximately 2.9 million tonnes of copper between January and July 2026, which is 7.1% lower than the 3.14 million tonnes produced in the same months a year earlier.
The figures were released on August 31st. INE reported that July 2026 saw 403,424 tonnes of mined copper, a 9.4% decrease from July 2025's 445,322 tonnes. The agency cited weather conditions in the north and maintenance at large operations for the production decline. Copper production in July alone dropped by 22.1% at Escondida, a mine controlled by BHP, while Collahuasi saw a 12.3% increase that month.
Chile's official copper output for 2026 has been revised to 5.27 million tonnes, a 2.6% decline from the previous year's 5.41 million tonnes. To meet the target, the company needs a 3% increase in production during the final four months of the year.
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