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The value of Tasmania's metal and mineral exports was $842.8m in 2003-04, a 9.9% decrease from 1999-00. Exports of non-ferrous metals accounted for 29.7% of the value of Tasmania's exports in 2003-04, while exports of metalliferous ores and metal scrap accounted for another 6.3%.

Zinc continued to be Tasmania's most valuable commodity export in 2003-04 at $345m, despite dropping 16.3% in export earnings in a year. Zinc is produced from ores and concentrates from the Pasminco mines at Rosebery, and also from concentrates imported to Tasmania from mainland states.

Aluminium exports totalled $337m in 2003-04, an increase of 1.1% from 2002-03. Aluminium is manufactured in Tasmania from ores and concentrates imported from mainland states and overseas.

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Commodity(a)	$’000	$’000	$’000	$’000	$’000
Non-ferrous metals
Copper	3,254	4,074	4,033	4,663	6,159
Aluminium	302,967	372,292	363,360	333,586	337,178
Zinc	375,417	416,746	394,163	412,361	345,110
Tin	94	-	-	52	97
Miscellaneous non-ferrous base metals employed in metallurgy, and cermets	171	173	460	448	685
Total	681,903	793,286	762,015	751,109	689,228
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap
Iron ore and concentrates	52,224	57,336	49,550	41,651	37,248
Ferrous waste and scrap; remelting ingots of iron or steel	2,973	4,985	1,863	2,031	3,550
Copper ores and concentrates; copper mattes, cement copper	67,059	92,453	82,451	83,985	89,080
Lead ores and concentrates	18,137	3,539	-	920	4,553
Zinc ores and concentrates	29,493	-	68	2,829	1,585
Tin ores and concentrates	68,751	73,642	45,760	31,966	-
Manganese ores & conc (incl. those of manganiferous iron with a manganese content of 20% or more by dry wt)	-	4,641	321	-	4,226
Tungsten (or wolfram) ores and concentrates	-	293	-	-	-
Ash and residues containing metals or metallic compounds (excl. ash from iron and steel manufacture)	25	1,200	3,150	-	-
Copper waste and scrap	521	846	828	385	1,490
Aluminium waste and scrap	3,104	3,431	4,283	3,477	3,129
Lead waste and scrap	296	-	-	-	-
Total	242,584	242,366	188,273	167,244	144,861
Iron and steel	10,216	4,209	2,894	2,911	8,370
Crude fertilisers (excl. those of Division 56) and crude minerals (excl. coal, petroleum and precious stones)	454	852	3,716	4,486	145
Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials	295	300	461	1,029	225
Gas, natural and manufactured	2	-	-	-	-