[Metals Trading Enters One of the Most Profitable Periods in History, Multiple Traders Report Career-High Earnings] BlockBeats reports that on October 25th, the global metals trading industry saw its second consecutive year of explosive profit growth, with several major traders achieving record profits and metal traders raking in billions of dollars. According to sources, Trafigura, vying with Glencore for the title of the world's largest metals trader, recorded a record profit of approximately $2 billion in its metals trading business in the fiscal year ending September. Glencore also recorded one of its best profit performances ever, but its overall performance was dragged down by a $480 million provision related to its exposure to iron ore trader Radiant World. The huge profits made Friday's London Metal Exchange Week (LME Week) particularly exciting. Champagne was served continuously at this most important annual gathering of the global metals industry. Several metal traders privately stated that they are experiencing the highest earning period of their careers, while simultaneously receiving numerous job offers from competitors and new entrants seeking to share in the booming metals market. According to sources familiar with the matter, Vitol Group, the world's largest commodities trader, is also expanding its metals trading business, which is expected to generate over $100 million in profits this year. While this performance is significantly better than last year, it still lags behind major competitors such as Mercuria.