Trade is an older, informal term for the barren rock, dirt, and general rubbish hauled out of a mine or separated from the ore. It represents the non-economic material that must be moved to access the pay zone or discarded during initial sorting. Managing trade requires dedicated haulage and surface dumping space, directly impacting the overall efficiency of the operation.
The main drive is producing too much trade and not enough color, so we need to re-evaluate the drill pattern.
Related terms
Tailings
The waste material left over after the valuable minerals have been extracted from ore.
Deads
Waste rock or barren material that surrounds an ore body.
Mullock
Waste rock or barren ground excavated during the search for an ore body.
Dirt
Unprocessed broken rock, gravel, or earth, especially in placer mining.