Chile Looks to Speed Up Copper Expansion Amid Tight Supply (1)

Chile’s new government is looking to boost copper production faster than previously projected by speeding up permitting and making regulatory changes, the nation’s top mining official said in an interview.

President José Antonio Kast’s administration sees annual output of the metal reaching 6 million metric tons in the next four or five years, dual Economy and Mining Minister Daniel Mas said. The nation’s copper commission Cochilco had said it would take until 2033 to hit that level, from 5.6 million tons this year.

“We are trying to increase investment to assure the expansion of some mines,” Mas said from ...