Ecuador's mineral exports reached 271.85 million in January, up 114 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 255.88 million set in April 2021, the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources announced, BNAmericas reported. Mineral exports hit a new high in a single month.
The figures keep mining as the country's fourth largest economic pillar, the country's third largest non-oil and gas sector after crude oil, shrimp and bananas, and the largest non-traditional export sector, accounting for 11.07 percent of the country's merchandise exports.
Juan Carlos Bermeo, Ecuador's energy minister, stressed that "in January we achieved our target of mineral exports accounting for 12 per cent of total exports of 2.238 billion".
"If the current level of exports continues, it is highly likely to exceed the target," he said.
Las exportaciones de cobre y concentrado de cobre encabezaron la lista con 157 millones. Las exportaciones de oro y concentrados ocuparon el quinto lugar con 115 millones.
Exports from The Mirador mine were 152m (56 per cent of the total), according to Ecuador's central bank; Fruta del Norte exports amounted to us 67 million (25 percent ), while small mines accounted for US 53 million (19 percent ).
EcuaCorriente SA (propietaria de la mina Mirador) ocupó el segundo lugar entre las empresas exportadoras y el primero entre las empresas no-petroleras y gasíferas. Aurelian Ecuador SA (propietaria de la mina de oro Fruta North) ocupó el quinto y cuarto lugar entre las empresas no-petrolíferas y gasíferas.
Official data from the Ministry of Energy show that Ecuador's mineral exports reached 2.092 billion in 2012, 31 percent above the target.
Ecuador's main exports include copper and gold concentrates, as well as gold bars, with smaller amounts of other minerals, including silver, lead and zinc. Leading exporters include China, Switzerland, the United States and Finland.
Según las estadísticas del Ministerio de Energía y Minas, a septiembre de 2021, los empleados directos de la industria minera grande, mediana y pequeña en el Ecuador son cerca de 40,000, y se espera llegar a 300,{{ 4}} para 2025.
