/REUTERS, Almaty, February 18, 09/ - Output of copper in Kazakhstan within the period of January - December of 2008 decreased by 2.0 %, compared to the similar period of the previous year, to 398.000 tons, the Statistics Agency informed.

Non-processed zinc production within the same period increased by 2.0 % to 365.561 tons.

Production of alumina increased by 10.1 % and made 1.713 m. tons.

NON-FERROUS METALS OUTPUT IN KAZAKHSTAN*:

---------------------------------------------------------------
                           December                    January-
                               2008 November 2008 December 2008
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Refined copper (tons)        31,332        36,058       398,000
To the previous month in %    -13.1          -0.8             -
To the previous year in %     -26.2          -5.2          -2.0
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Unprocessed zinc (tons)      31,208        30,448       365,561
To the previous month in %     +2.5          -0.9             -
To the previous year in %       0.0          +0.6          +2.0
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Plumber (tons)                7,326         9,415        98,858
To the previous month in %    -22.2         +33.3             -
To the previous year in %     -16.2          +1.9         -14.5
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Alumina (tons)              145,833       141,913     1,713,422
To the previous month in %     +2.8          -3.2             -
To the previous year in %      +5.9          +5.6         +10.1
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Gold affined (kg)               872           782         8,201
To the previous month in %    +11.5         +26.7             -
To the previous year in %     +20.8         +16.0          +0.5
-------------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
Silver affined (kg)          59,261        48,669       628,752
To the previous month in %    +21.8         -17.4             -
To the previous year in %      +6.7          -5.8         -11.2
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Indicators of the volume of the manufacturing production in natural
 expression are presented on all enterprises, outputting manufacture
 production, taking into account extra accounts of small enterprises
 and industrial manufactures at non-industrial enterprises.

[2009-02-18]