/REUTERS, Almaty, October 17, 03/ - On Friday the Agency on statistics informed that in January-September of 2003 copper production in Kazakhstan decreased by 6.3% in comparison with January-September of 2002, and equaled to 317,386 tons.

Production of non-ferrous metals in Kazakhstan*:

-----------------------------------------------------
                       Aug 2003  July 2003   Jan- Aug
                                                 2003
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Refined copper (tons)    33,463     38,827    317,386
to previous month, %      -13.8      +10.3        n/a
to previous year, %       -13.6       +1.8       -6.3
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Zinc (tons)              25,881     27,931    220,684
to previous month, %       -7.3       -1.9        n/a
to previous year, %        +7.9      +18.3       +4.1
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Lead (tons)              10,043     11,014     83,953
to previous month, %       -8.8       +5.3        n/a
to previous year, %       -22.6      -22.7      -20.6
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Alumina (tons)          116,181    120,304  1,059,042
to previous month, %       -3.4       -0.1        n/a
to previous year, %        -3.1       -2.5       +3.5
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Refined gold (kg)           984        914      7,307
to previous month, %       +7.7      +16.4        n/a
to previous year, %       +22.8       +2.6      -10.9
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Refined silver (kg)      73,154     60,058    603,690
to previous month, %      +21.8       -7.2        n/a
to previous year, %        +4.9      -22.8       -6.4
---------------------  --------  ---------  ---------
Bauxites (tons)         393,300    419,100  3,555,900
to previous month, %       -6.2       -0.8        n/a
to previous year, %        +3.0       +1.7      +10.6
-----------------------------------------------------

* - Indicators on industrial production volume in natural expression are presented on all enterprises producing industrial goods taking into account final counts on small enterprises and industrial productions at non-industrial enterprises (organizations), the document says.

[2003-10-17]