Chile’s Codelco, the world’s top copper producer, said on Friday it boosted output by 4.7% in the first six months of 2020 even as the coronavirus outbreak forced it to rely on skeleton crews. Pretax profits of $380 million jumped 20% over the year-ago period, the company said. Cash costs plunged 9%, helping boost profits alongside strong output. “The early measures taken by the company to protect the health of its workers allowed us to maintain operational continuity,” the company said in a statement. Codelco said it produced 744,000 tonnes of copper in the first half, attributing the increase to improved ... (full story)