GLOBAL TRENDS IN MINING PRODUCTION

摘要

The author discusses the different developments in global minerals production in the past three decades. The global minerals production prior to 1990 was well balanced in supply and demand. In the early 90ies China became an important mineral exporter. However extremely low commodity prices of Chinas minerals exports forced numerous important producers in the western world to shut down their operations. The first decade of the 21th century may be characterized as the big change of paradigm, as China reduced its minerals exports dramatically to meet its own mineral demand and became the world's most important minerals importer. The author discusses the global, regional and sectoral changes of the extractive industry. In the first chapter global developments are discussed in detail. Chapter 2 is dealing with supply risks. Chapter 3 investigates in detail the iron ore market and minerals essential for steel production. High mineral prices stimulate minerals exploration worldwide and led to new findings of mineral deposits. Therefore worldwide exhaustion of any commodity (except petroleum) is very unlikely for the next decades. However, political instability of producer countries and violation of trade regulations may result in supply shortages, affecting the economy worldwide.