Peru just posted a powerful first-half surge in mining exports: 26.553 billion dollars from January to June, up 16.6% from a year earlier. For a country where minerals make up 66.3% of total export value, that is not a side story—it is the story. Peru’s Metals Drive Fast Growth—And VulnerabilityThe story behind the story is how tightly Peru’s economy is tied to a handful of metals and a few big buyers. When copper, gold, and zinc have buyers at good prices, the effects ripple from pit head to port to public budget. Peru’s first-half sprint shows the upside of that chain—along with the risks of living by it.