SANTIAGO, April 8 (Reuters) - The CEO of Chile's

Codelco, Ruben Alvarado, said on Tuesday that the state-run

copper producer aims to bring output to the upper end of its

estimated range this year, expecting to reach 1.39 million

metric tons.

Alvarado said the world's largest copper producer plans to

return to the bond market but is evaluating the timing.

"We know we still have to go to market. We'll certainly be

there, but we still have to decide when," he told Reuters on the

sidelines at the CRU/CESCO World Copper Conference.

"Our bond prices are very attractive. We take great care

with our investment grade, so we believe we still have the room

to move forward with financing our projects."

In 2024, Codelco managed to boost production after

hitting 25-year lows in 2023 due to delays in key projects and

operational issues, which it has been resolving.

Alvarado said he expects to increase performance after

having a better first quarter than last year.

"This year, we're preparing to go for significantly

more," he said, adding the expectation is 1.39 million tons.

"We're focused on doing things right, ensuring

operational continuity and being particularly careful with

safety issues," he added.

Alvarado also noted that the company is still evaluating

whether to send new spot copper shipments to the U.S., as it did

in the

first quarter

when customers were trying to get ahead of expected U.S.

tariffs on imports.

"What has motivated us to increase shipments to the

United States has to do primarily with meeting the needs of our

long-term customers," he said.