Stock Take

Tara Mines owner to halt Irish operations until further notice

Boliden, the Swedish owner of Europe’s largest zinc mine, based in Co Meath, cites soaring costs and weak market prices

The size of Tara Mines is so significant in a global context that Boliden’s decision to shutter it sent global prices higher by about 5 per cent this week

The news that the Swedish owner of Tara Mines plans to temporarily shutter its Irish operations due to soaring costs and weak market prices is a major blow to the local economy in Meath and the 650 workers impacted.

But it’s also a telltale sign that the current inflation cycle is bottoming out.

Managing inflation is far from an exact science, and economists and policymakers are continually searching for signs that policy interventions such as ...