Credit: REUTERS/PABLO SANHUEZASANTIAGO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Chilean mining activity fell 7.1% in November, government data showed on Tuesday, plagued by operational issues at major mines during a tumultuous month of protests, road and port blockades and worker strikes in the South American nation.
The world's top copper producer reported that production of the metal fell 6.7% in November versus the same month the previous year, to 504,366 tonnes. Government statistics agency INE said the fall in mining activity was in part a reflection of strong production the previous November.
Chilean manufacturing production CLMFG=ECI, however, surprised analysts, jumping 3.2 percent in November compared with the previous year, according to government data, bucking predictions of a sharper drop in output as a result of weeks of unrest.
The unexpected increase was driven primarily by a year-on-year rise in the production of chemical products, INE said.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood, editing by Louise Heavens)
((dave.sherwood@thomsonreuters.com; +56 9 9138 1047, +56 2 2370 4224; Reuters Messaging: dave.sherwood.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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