Antofagasta CEO sees global copper market balanced or in small deficit

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Antofagasta PLC (ANTO.L) sees the global copper market balanced or in a small deficit this year, with the situation continuing into 2018, its chief executive officer said on Wednesday.

Refined copper demand is growing at a "healthy rate" of 4 percent this year and new production "has largely already been absorbed in the market", Ivan Arriagada said at the Asia Copper Conference in Shanghai.

(Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Joseph Radford)