Codelco, the world’s top copper producer, reported pre-tax profits of $2.078 billion in 2020 and said it had upped output from its own mines by 2% to 1.618 million tonnes, despite being forced to rely on skeleton crews for almost half the year amid strict measures aimed at curbing the coronavirus outbreak.

The 55% increase in profits came amid a surge in global metal prices and higher sales as global markets including Chile’s main buyer China begin to rally from the pandemic.