Antofagasta's economic development is mainly based on copper mining and nonmetallic minerals such as nitrate and iodine. It is also important port activity, although in recent years has lost the lead port in the region, due to the installation of the megaport of Mejillones.
Antofagasta owns two major industrial areas, one is located 20 km outside the urban area known as Ciudad Empresarial La Negra, a complex of approximately 2,400 hectares There are refinery furnace copper industries in addition to cement, lime and other products. The second industrial area is located in the north of the city, where they have installed multiple operating centers of different companies, mainly along the "Pedro Aguirre Cerda Avenue."
Trade is concentrated mainly in the center of Antofagasta, around the Plaza Col�n, where they are installed in the last 2 decades several national retail chains. Moreover, in different parts of the city have set up large supermarket chains like �L�der� and �Jumbo�.
Recently in 2006, were also installed, the national chain " Mall Plaza" in the coastal area and the �Casino Enjoy Antofagasta� in the south of the city.
Business Tourism
Mining is the main economic attractiveness of the region.
Because of the important administrative position of Antofagasta in the region, the historical relationship with the mining sector, and the production of the 54% of copper at the national level, has become a hub for business tourism related to mining, general industry and machinery in both sectors
Events are held annually with the assistance of several mining countries of the world, and one of the most important is "EXPONOR" organized by the "Asociaci�n de Industriales Antofagasta", guild formed by the major copper producers in the region. Exponor is a show that promotes the gestation of chains, new business and exchanging knowledge and experiences among entrepreneurs from different countries of the world
