Peru says March copper, zinc outputs down, gold up

LIMA, May 5 (Reuters) - Peru, a leading global metals
exporter, saw its copper and zinc outputs fall in March from
the same month a year ago, while gold and silver production
rose, the mining ministry said on Tuesday.

Prices for most of Peru's metal exports, which account for
more than half of total exports and are the government's
largest source of revenue, have plummeted on the global
economic slowdown.

Peru is the world's top producer of silver, No. 2 in copper
and zinc and ranks sixth in gold.

Output figures are as follows:

METAL MARCH OUTPUT CHANGE FROM MARCH 2008

Copper 104,462 tonnes -1.33 pct

Zinc 118,817 tonnes -9.73 pct

Gold 15,639,825 fine grams 8.77 pct

Silver 318,494 fine kg 9.78 pct

Lead 25,405 tonnes -7.65 pct

Iron 350,827 tonnes -34.47 pct

Tin 3,023 tonnes -12.01 pct
(Reporting by Dana Ford)