The fall is a consequence of reduced activity in all three sectors that make up the index
In its report, the Institute said that the metallic mining sector, in fact, saw a 9.7% decrease in copper extraction and processing in the last month of 2020. This reduction has been attributed to both lower grades and a slower-than-expected pace in the resumption of operations that were halted due to covid-19-related restrictions.
The non-metallic mining sector, on the other hand, saw lower production of caliche and, thus, fell by 6.1%.
The third component of the Mining Production Index, the energy sector, dropped by 29% when compared to December 2019, as a result of lower production of crude oil, coal and natural gas.
Overall, however, the IPMin grew by 0.5% in 2020, a small boost caused by a 0.4% rise in production in the metallic mining sector.
