Copper prices were down Wednesday due to fears of the rapid expansion of the coronavirus. At 0712 GMT, three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) yielded 0.4% to $ 5,662.50 per ton. The most quoted contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) lost 0.5% to 45,480 yuan ($ 6,485.28) a ton. Copper prices, used as an indicator of economic health, have been affected as China is the world's largest user of that metal and the main importer of Chilean copper.
Tag: trade
Deceleration and coronavirus hit foreign trade, 17% down
Chile's exports fell 17% ($ 2.6 billion) and imports 16.8% ($ 2.1 billion) in the first fifteen days of February, according to official data. Fruit products and food were the most affected export sectors: cherry (-87.6%), hake (-58%), pork (-51.42%), avocado (-35%), blueberries (-15 , 89%). Imports of consumer goods fell 15%, being mobile phones (-53%) and automobiles (-49%) where the impact was greater. Purchases of capital goods also fell 17%.
