A strike at a major copper mine in the world’s largest producer of the metal risks wiping out 10 000 metric tons from a market that’s already expected to end the year in deficit, according to an industry consultant. The stoppage at the Chuquicamata mine in northern Chile could cost No. 1 global supplier Codelco $50-million in lost production if it lasts two weeks, said Juan Carlos Guajardo, executive director at Santiago-based consultancy Plusmining. The strike at the mine, which produced 321 000 t of copper last year, entered its eleventh day on Monday with no signs of agreement between the company and unions.
