Peru Mine Strike May Cut into Copper Supply

Since South Africa’s epic 5-month platinum miner strike ended this past summer, things have been relatively quiet on the mining front – until now. On Monday, Nov. 10, workers at Peru’s Antamina copper mine threw down their tools and began the first indefinite strike in the mine’s history.

According to WSJ.com:

Peru is the world’s third biggest producer of copper, and a major producer of other minerals. In the first nine months of this year, Antamina has produced 273,411 tons of copper, down 16% from the year-earlier period.

Depending on how long the workers hold out for higher pay, the already low copper production may take an even bigger hit.