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Where does China get its copper ore? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $64.7 billion of copper ore (22.3 million tonnes), 62.3% of the world total. Its main sources were Chile (32%), Peru (24%) and Mexico (5%). China was the world’s largest importer of copper ore.

Summary

Value
$64.7billion
Tonnes
22.3million tonnes
Share of world total
62.3%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Chile20.7Tonnes: 2,787,017USD per tonne: $7,42832%Sea
Peru15.6Tonnes: 6,984,345USD per tonne: $2,23424.1%Sea
Mexico3.4Tonnes: 1,605,761USD per tonne: $2,0875.2%Sea
Mongolia3.3Tonnes: 1,548,820USD per tonne: $2,1475.1%Land
Kazakhstan2.9Tonnes: 1,618,751USD per tonne: $1,7934.5%Land
Democratic Republic of the Congo2.5Tonnes: 624,792USD per tonne: $4,0373.9%Sea
Indonesia2.1Tonnes: 692,826USD per tonne: $3,0133.2%Sea
Russia1.5Tonnes: 413,278USD per tonne: $3,5552.3%Land
Serbia1.3Tonnes: 797,973USD per tonne: $1,6912.1%Sea
Canada1.2Tonnes: 221,565USD per tonne: $5,6071.9%Sea
Ecuador1.1Tonnes: 476,238USD per tonne: $2,2261.6%Sea
Australia1.1Tonnes: 325,490USD per tonne: $3,2371.6%Sea
Spain1Tonnes: 571,175USD per tonne: $1,8161.6%Sea
Brazil0.87Tonnes: 369,748USD per tonne: $2,3481.3%Sea
Botswana0.75Tonnes: 268,290USD per tonne: $2,8081.2%Sea
Philippines0.68Tonnes: 320,407USD per tonne: $2,1301.1%Sea
Saudi Arabia0.58Tonnes: 283,273USD per tonne: $2,0610.9%Sea
Laos0.48Tonnes: 181,773USD per tonne: $2,6200.74%Land
United States0.47Tonnes: 327,373USD per tonne: $1,4220.72%Sea
Armenia0.43Tonnes: 261,815USD per tonne: $1,6600.67%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Chile has been its main source since 2018

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Chile 20.7
  • Peru 15.6
  • Mexico 3.4
  • Mongolia 3.3
  • Kazakhstan 2.9

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Chile0.1120.7
Peru015.6
Mexico03.4
Mongolia0.043.3
Kazakhstan02.9

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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