The 4th version of the study "Mining Signals", conducted by Vantaz Group and the Center for Copper and Mining Studies (CESCO), shows that the Chilean and Peruvian mining industry is more pessimistic about the current and future situation of the sector, compared to the view of the executives surveyed in Australia.
The now traditional study, which analyzes the expectations of different mining stakeholders in Chile and Peru, added a pilot experience in Australia for the first time this year. The survey allows to know the perceptions and expectations of senior executives representing the mining industry on key issues such as prices, demand, production and investment.
"We are very pleased with the success of this pilot experience, which gives us clear signals about what mining companies are looking for. We are eager to further deepen our knowledge of the sector's expectations, given the importance of mining in Chile, Peru and Australia," he says. Daniela Desormeaux, Director of Research at Vantaz Group and Director of Cesco.
With regard to the outlook for prices and demand, respondents in all three countries are optimistic in the medium term. However, as with environmental perceptions, Australians are much more optimistic about the evolution of prices for the main minerals produced in Australia, such as copper, iron ore and lithium.
Gary Warden, Country Manager Vantaz Australia explains that "in Australia, almost 80% of those surveyed believe that the current social situation is favorable. This reflects the perception in the business environment of the mining sector in that country, where there is dynamism in the projects. These results are directly related to the collaborative spirit of Australian companies with the government, academia and technology centers".
In Chile, moreover, mining companies are significantly more pessimistic about environmental issues in the medium term, while respondents in Australia and Peru are more optimistic.
Another relevant finding is that the majority of respondents in the Australian market expect investment to remain stable in the short term.
In fact, for the next 24 months, 36.2% of Chilean mining industry executives expect investments to decrease, while only 17.7% expect investment to increase.
In Australia, on the other hand, 52% of those surveyed believe that investment will increase in the medium term, while in Peru, 26.2%.
Prices and demand
In Chile, respondents are optimistic about price and demand strength. The results show that 58.4% expect the price of copper to remain the same or increase; this perception reaches 53.1% in the case of lithium and 44.6% in the case of iron ore.
In Peru, half of those surveyed expect the price of the red metal to increase in the medium term. Meanwhile, silver and gold prices are expected to remain stable.
Finally, from the Australian perspective, expectations for short-term copper and lithium price developments are optimistic and are expected to rise.
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