At the Sasa mine in North Macedonia, Central Asia Metals reported production of 4,968 tonnes of zinc in concentrate and 7,255 tonnes of lead in concentrate in the third quarter. Zinc output rose about 18% and lead output about 21% from a year earlier, as downstream metals companies faced weaker financial results.
In the first nine months of the year, Sasa produced 14,062 tonnes of zinc and 20,568 tonnes of lead. The higher quarterly output provided a positive operating signal for the country’s mining sector, while parts of its metals-processing industry remained under financial pressure.
Makstil, a steel company, reported a 28% decline in profit for the first nine months. Liberty’s reported loss for January–September widened to about 7 million euros.
The contrasting results reflect different economics for raw-material producers and energy-intensive manufacturers. Mines can benefit from contained cost structures and commodity pricing, while processors face weak demand, expensive power, financing costs and import competition.
North Macedonia needs both upstream extraction and downstream industrial activity to capture value from its metals sector. Strong mine output supports exports and employment, but a weak processing base limits the domestic multiplier from mineral production.
At mature mines, incremental gains in recovery, stope sequencing and underground productivity can affect output without requiring a new mine build. Whether North Macedonia’s broader industrial sector can stabilise enough to match Sasa’s production performance remains an open question.
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