Covid-19 hurt mining in Asia and the Americas most

Mining operations in Asia and the Americas were hardest hit by government regulations implemented to stymie the spread of Covid-19, and are the regions that will register the largest declines in mineral production growth this year.

This is according to a new report by Fitch Solutions, which states that ore production in China, Indonesia, Peru and India have been the hardest hit, while Australia, Russia and Iran have seen limited disruptions owing to Covid-19.

Tin and copper ore will face the greatest Covid-19-induced reductions in output in 2020, owing to the concentration of copper and tin projects in Asia and the Americas. Global gold and iron-ore production will show greater resilience in 2020, owing to high prices and the location of mines of these metals in countries where mining operations are least affected by the pandemic.