大象传媒

We examine the end of the so-called super-cycle - this was the eight year boom period in global commodity prices that did much to lift parts of the world like Africa into rapid growth. The latest slowdown in China, with more disappointing trade figures announced today,has done much to hurt global commodities prices - metals like iron and copper, as well as oil and coal. And the falling values of these goods are causing mines to close and miners to lose their jobs around the world. We have a report from Goa in India where iron-ore mines had been set to reopen after they were closed by a corruption scandal. We also hear from Graham Bell, a strategist at Old Mutual Investment in Cape Town, South Africa, on the recent announcements from the mining giant Glencore that it will be closing mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we speak to Alon Olsha, equity research analyst at the Macquarie Securities Group in London, about what this means for commodity-rich economies and miners everywhere, Will the super-cycle ever return to the mining industry?

(Photo: Iron-ore mine in Australia, Credit: Amy Coopes/AFP/Getty Images)