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Where does China get its refined copper? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $37.3 billion of refined copper (4.1 million tonnes), 39.4% of the world total. Its main sources were the Democratic Republic of the Congo (38%), Chile (12%) and Kazakhstan (7%). China was the world’s largest importer of refined copper.

Summary

Value
$37.3billion
Tonnes
4.1million tonnes
Share of world total
39.4%
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
Democratic Republic of the Congo14Tonnes: 1,484,931USD per tonne: $9,43637.5%Sea
Chile4.6Tonnes: 507,395USD per tonne: $9,14812.4%Sea
Kazakhstan2.7Tonnes: 310,239USD per tonne: $8,6527.2%Land
Japan2.3Tonnes: 248,250USD per tonne: $9,1926.1%Sea
Russia2.3Tonnes: 249,002USD per tonne: $9,1386.1%Land
Australia1.4Tonnes: 151,624USD per tonne: $9,3843.8%Sea
South Korea1.2Tonnes: 138,995USD per tonne: $8,9493.3%Sea
Peru0.94Tonnes: 103,020USD per tonne: $9,1242.5%Sea
Zambia0.71Tonnes: 82,835USD per tonne: $8,5801.9%Sea
Poland0.69Tonnes: 75,986USD per tonne: $9,0671.9%Sea
Pakistan0.62Tonnes: 68,568USD per tonne: $9,0421.7%Land
Indonesia0.53Tonnes: 64,761USD per tonne: $8,2361.4%Sea
Uzbekistan0.52Tonnes: 61,537USD per tonne: $8,5291.4%Sea
United Arab Emirates0.47Tonnes: 53,189USD per tonne: $8,9011.3%Sea
Serbia0.47Tonnes: 50,782USD per tonne: $9,3021.3%Sea
Philippines0.45Tonnes: 48,294USD per tonne: $9,3401.2%Sea
South Africa0.43Tonnes: 51,484USD per tonne: $8,2921.1%Sea
India0.32Tonnes: 37,335USD per tonne: $8,4610.85%Land
Morocco0.31Tonnes: 34,250USD per tonne: $8,9870.82%Sea
Thailand0.24Tonnes: 39,927USD per tonne: $6,0610.65%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been its main source since 2023

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

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo 14
  • Chile 4.6
  • Kazakhstan 2.7
  • Japan 2.3
  • Russia 2.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Democratic Republic of the Congo014
Chile< 0.014.6
Kazakhstan< 0.012.7
Japan0.122.3
Russia0.012.3

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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