Zambia revises 2017 copper output upwards to 800,000 tonnes

LUSAKA: Zambia has revised its 2017 copper production figure upwards to 800,000 tonnes from 786,731 tonnes announced by the central bank last month, a senior ministry of mines official said on Tuesday.

Ministry of Mines Permanent Secretary Paul Chanda said the copper production figure was revised upwards after including the output of small scale producers. The southern African country produced 774,290 tonnes of copper in 2016.

"We actually hit 800,000 tonnes last year and we anticipate with certainty that we are going to reach a million tonnes or more this year," Chanda told Reuters in an interview.