Copper Rises in Asia Trade on Mexican Labor Unrest; Zinc, Aluminum Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Copper futures in Asia rose after
workers at Southern Copper Corp., the world's fifth-largest
producer of the metal, began a strike at three of the company's
Mexican mines to demand wage increases.

Employees stopped work at Cananea, Mexico's largest copper
mine, and the Taxco and San Martin zinc mines, National Mining
and Metal Workers Union spokeswoman Carmen Romero said yesterday.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Japan's Shares Drop, Led By Metals-Related Stocks; Nomura Surges on Profit

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks dropped, led by
trading companies and metals producers, after prices of gold and
copper declined.

Mitsubishi Corp., Japan's biggest trading house, and
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., the nation's largest gold producer,
paced losses.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Japanese Energy Stocks May Climb; Nomura, Honda May Advance on Earnings

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese oil-related shares may rise,
led by Inpex Holdings Inc. and Nippon Mining Holdings Inc. after
crude jumped the most in nine weeks.

Nomura Holdings Inc. may advance after the brokerage said its
first-quarter profit rose almost fourfold. Honda Motor Co. may
climb after raising its full-year earnings forecast.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Asian Stocks Rise for First Day in Four; BHP, JFE Holdings Gain on Metals

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose for the first time
in four days, led by BHP Billiton and Zijin Mining Group Co.,
after copper, gold and oil prices gained.

JFE Holdings Inc., Japan's second-biggest steelmaker, and
Posco climbed after UBS AG said slowing global production is
``supportive'' of prices. China, the world's biggest consumer of
steel, today reported its economy grew in the second quarter at
the fastest pace in 12 years.


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Asian Stocks Rise for First Day in Four; Newcrest Advances on Metals Gain

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose for the first time
in four days. Newcrest Mining Ltd. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.
led an advance among commodity producers after copper, gold and
oil prices gained.

``Resources stocks generally trade off the back of macro
information and with commodities prices up, they're doing pretty
well,'' said Troy Angus, who helps manage the equivalent of $2.1
billion at Paradice Investment Management Ltd. in Sydney.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Zambia's Konkola agrees to wage deal with miners

(Reuters) - Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has signed a new labour deal that will give its unionised workers a 20-percent salary increase, a union official said on Friday.

Albert Mando, the general secretary of the National Union of Allied and Mining Workers (Numaw), said workers agreed to the deal after the company, majority-owned by London-based Vedanta Resources, raised its wage offer from 16 percent.


Read more at Reuters Africa

South African Gold Producers Boost Pay Offer to 7 Percent, Union Says

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa's biggest gold producers
boosted their wage-increase offer to 7 percent at talks today,
the Solidarity labor union said.

The offer by AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., Gold Fields Ltd. and
Harmony Gold Mining Co. will now be considered by Solidarity, the
National Union of Mineworkers and the United Association of South
Africa, Reint Dykema, a spokesman for Solidarity, said in an
interview from Johannesburg.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Congo Katanga appoints LN Metals marketing agent

(Reuters) - Katanga Mining has appointed London-based trading firm LN Metals as sole marketing agent for copper and cobalt from its Kamoto project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, LN said on Tuesday.

The deal covers 2007 and 2008, LN Metals said in a statement.


Read more at Reuters Africa