And the place that has hitherto been the great consuming nation - the USA - is soon going to be eclipsed.

For Santos and his country, the issue of drugs looms much larger than for the consuming nations.

One is demand from India, one of the largest single consuming nations for silver, mostly as jewelry and bars.

A tax that a consuming nation might impose on itself to hold down demand would be opposed here by producers because it would damage their market.

And they do not want to commit the White House before meetings with other consuming nations, scheduled for today.

Now it was jumping to between $31 and $34, too high to avoid adverse effects in the consuming nations.

Doing so, he added, would "put U.S. import standards lower than other major consuming nations."

We're a consuming nation, we're a buying nation, even the poorest among us - we're all consumers here.

"Neither the consuming nations nor the producers seem willing to budge from their previous positions," she said.

Saudi oil executives said that while they were intent on increasing output, the consuming nations must also act.