Iron ore slides to seven-month low as trade war fears mount

A gulf of difference in the cost of financing for Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) draws into relief the diverging outlook for the two iron ore stalwarts.

Gold Fields Ltd. (NYSE, JSE:GFI) said Tuesday it will dismiss all miners who fail to return to work by Thursday at its KDC West and Beatrix plants, as the company has lost over 65,000 ounces of gold production because of strikes at its South African operations.

Mining companies with interests in Mauritania will face some challenges, but no major disturbances in the event of a coup d'état in the northwest African country, whose President was shot and flown to France for medical treatment on Sunday, say analysts.

Diversified mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) has raised iron ore output 5% year-on-year in the third quarter on the back of record production levels in Western Australia's Pilbara.

Mining executives see lots of more sunny days in 2013 with 55% of participants in a recent survey saying they believe their sector will perform better than it did in the first half of 2012.

Brazilian giant miner Vale (NYSE: VALE) is about to close a $500 million loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for its Rio Colorado potash project in Mendoza, Argentina.

Anglo America's (NYSE:AAL) Kumba Iron Ore announced on Monday that it had fired almost 300 workers in South Africa for participating in an illegal strike and commandeering millions in company equipment.

Brazil is slated to produce 820 million tonne of iron ore in 2016, a more than 60% jump from today's levels. How will Chinese demand keep up?

The CEO of Australia's Macmahon Holdings (ASX:MAH) expects gold to continue performing well despite the weak outlook for the mining sector in general.