Jessica Elzea Kogel: An interview with the 2013 SME President

Mining Engineering, 2013, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 18-18

What is your personal view and assessment of the overall health of the industry in the current global economy?

The economic outlook remains soft for the near future and, although the global economy is showing signs of recovery, uncertainty has tempered the pace of recovery. In addition to uncertainty, we are still facing significant economic challenges in many parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. The rapid expansion of China’s economy has recently slowed, further contributing to the sense of uncertainty in the overall health of the global economy. This situation is both a blessing and a curse, depending on which sector of the mining industry we are considering. For example, coal, industrial minerals, aggregates, base metal and precious metals markets are impacted by different forces and drivers and will experience different outcomes within the same economic environment.