Copper / Медь

Domestic survey data and tables were prepared by Hema Edupugante, Michael Leahy, and Wanda Wooten, statistical assistants, and the world production tables were prepared by Regina R. Coleman and Glenn J. Wallace, international data coordinators. 
In 2003, mine production of recoverable copper in the United States fell by about 26,000 metric tons (t) to the lowest level since 1985. A global oversupply of refined copper and resulting sustained low copper prices led to the continuation of previously announced cutbacks and an additional cutback at the Mission Mine in Arizona by ASARCO Incorporated (Asarco) (ASARCO Incorporated, 2002). Phelps Dodge Corp. reported that though there were production shifts between operations, production for its U.S. operations rose nominally to 658,000 t (Phelps Dodge Corp., 2004b, p. 5).

Downstream smelter and refinery production fell by 21% and 13%, respectively. Only three primary smelters and no secondary smelters operated during the year. Electrowon production, which declined by about 9,000 t, accounted for 52% of mine output and a record-high 47% of primary refined copper production. The United States was fifth in world smelter production and fell to fourth place in refinery output behind Chile, China, and Japan. 
Reported domestic consumption of refined copper in 2003 declined by about 3% and was at the lowest level in 10 years. In 2002, China became the world’s largest consumer of refined copper. Global mine production of copper remained essentially unchanged in 2003 at 13.6 million metric tons (Mt). The strong growth trend in world mine production that began in 1995 came to an abrupt halt in 2002 when producers, primarily in Chile and the United States, instituted cutbacks. Production was stagnant in 2003 despite an almost 800,000 t increase in global mine capacity during the 2001-03 period. The United States, which accounted for about 8% of world production, reclaimed its position as the world’s second leading mine producer from Indonesia, where production fell far short of expectations owing to a major landslide at its dominant producer. Chile, where mine production rose by about 7% to a record-high 4.9 Mt, remained the leading mine producer and accounted for more than one-third of total world production. <...>