Formed in 1976, the company actively pursued the construction of the plant in Leyte which was completed in 1983 to signal the Philippine Government's industrialization plans for the country. PASAR's primary product is electrolytic copper cathodes, the raw material used for manufacturing various kinds of electric cables, telecommunication wires, copper shapes and copper-alloy products. The PASAR Copper Cathode is registered as Grade A Copper in the London Metal Exchange (LME) and as COMEX High Grade Copper in the Commodity Exchange (COMEX) Division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). It is also listed in the Shanghai Futures Exchange.

The location of PASAR copper smelter and refinery in Leyte in the central Philippines has resulted in many advantages for the company and its partners. The port possesses a deep-harbor facility which is being reconstructed to berth and handle vessels up to 50,000 DWT. It lies in the center of the Philippine archipelago, ready to serve the smelting needs of the country's reviving mining industry.

PASAR's strategic location in the Asia Pacific Rim allows access to copper concentrates supplies from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. It also has access to the huge refined copper markets of China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.

The complex includes pollution abatement facilities; port and bulk handling facilities; an airstrip; a medical facility; and housing, recreation and educational facilities for company personnel and their dependents.