Author Description

Investigation of the reasons for the atrophy of demand for metals, with an examination in detail of both cyclical and structural causes. The study deals with general trends in metal demand, including: the evolution within the OECD and its member countries of the consumption of the 5 metals that are important to Canada as exports (aluminum, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc); the main determinants of the evolution of metals demand, including the index of industrial activity, the material composition of products, and the product composition of income; and the policy implications of the atrophy of the consumption of metals, particularly government mining policies and the strategies of metal-producing firms with regard to price policies and horizontal diversification.