On July 28, Australian miner BHP Billiton declared force majeure at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, where strikes have been going on for six days now.
Since production has stopped completely and workers have blocked access to port facilities, no loadings can be carried out and no deliveries can be made to customers. As a result, BHP Billiton has decided to suspend its copper concentrate shipment contracts. Force majeure contract suspension allows a company to temporarily halt its commitments due to an event beyond its control.
BHP Billiton stated that it cannot predict how long the contract suspension will be implemented as it depends on the duration of the strike.