DJ reported that Mexico's mining production fell 7.3% in August from the year ago month with lower production of copper, gold and other metals offset by jumps in silver and lead output.

The National Statistics Institute said that copper production fell 14% from August 2008 to 18,465 tonnes and gold output was down 13% to 3,395 kilograms.

Mexico's copper production has been limited the past 2 years by a strike at the Cananea copper mine Mexico's largest which has shut in annual capacity of around 180,000 tonnes.

Silver output in August rose 24% to 257,671 kilograms, offsetting declines in other metals and lead production rose 81% to 11,208 tonnes.

Inegi said that zinc output fell 7.2% to 33,992 tonnes, iron production fell 9.7% to 589,813 tonnes and coal production was down 7.1% at 782,132 tonnes.

(Sourced from Dow Jones)