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Where does South Korea get its refined copper? Import sources 2024

In 2024, South Korea imported $2.6 billion of refined copper (284 thousand tonnes), 2.7% of the world total. Its main sources were Chile (42%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (36%) and the Philippines (6%). South Korea was the world’s 9th-largest importer of refined copper.

Summary

Value
$2.6billion
Tonnes
284thousand tonnes
Share of world total
2.7%
World rank
9th
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
Chile1.1Tonnes: 119,372USD per tonne: $9,12642.4%Sea
Democratic Republic of the Congo0.94Tonnes: 102,303USD per tonne: $9,16336.5%Sea
Philippines0.15Tonnes: 15,995USD per tonne: $9,1935.7%Sea
Japan0.12Tonnes: 12,920USD per tonne: $9,0264.5%Sea
Australia0.11Tonnes: 12,391USD per tonne: $8,7184.2%Sea
China0.04Tonnes: 4,047USD per tonne: $9,4461.5%Sea
Nigeria0.02Tonnes: 3,911USD per tonne: $6,1820.94%Sea
Poland0.02Tonnes: 2,216USD per tonne: $8,1380.7%Sea
Indonesia0.01Tonnes: 1,503USD per tonne: $9,9060.58%Sea
Peru0.01Tonnes: 1,445USD per tonne: $8,8020.5%Sea
Germany0.01Tonnes: 1,299USD per tonne: $9,4950.48%Sea
Bulgaria0.01Tonnes: 1,847USD per tonne: $6,2260.45%Sea
United States0.01Tonnes: 951USD per tonne: $9,8380.36%Sea
Zambia0.01Tonnes: 1,005USD per tonne: $9,0080.35%Sea
Thailand0.01Tonnes: 864USD per tonne: $5,9270.2%Sea
Sweden< 0.01Tonnes: 866USD per tonne: $5,7460.19%Sea
India< 0.01Tonnes: 536USD per tonne: $8,2150.17%Sea
Bangladesh< 0.01Tonnes: 205USD per tonne: $8,0890.06%Sea
Singapore re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 190USD per tonne: $6,7420.05%Sea
Italy< 0.01Tonnes: 46USD per tonne: $13,9170.03%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Chile was its main source throughout the period

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

  • Chile 1.1
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.94
  • Philippines 0.15
  • Japan 0.12
  • Australia 0.11

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Chile0.491.1
Democratic Republic of the Congo< 0.010.94
Philippines0.080.15
Japan0.090.12
Australia< 0.010.11

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

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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