Peru's Dream of Usurping Chile as Copper King Faces Roadblocks
- Mines slowed by red tape, rural opponents and transport issues
- Investment in mining is picking up after a two-year downturn
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The biggest obstacle to Peru’s dream of some day supplanting Chile as the world’s largest copper producer may be Peru itself.
Despite higher-grade ores and lower mining costs than neighboring Chile, the Peruvian government says the country’s potential in copper is being restricted by too much bureaucracy. Mine owners also complain about weak infrastructure and strong opposition to projects from people who fear increased environmental risks and disruption to their communities.