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Unrefined copper: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in unrefined copper totaled $19 billion (2.1 million tonnes). The top exporters were Zambia (39%), Chile (11%) and Sweden (11%); the top importers were China (31%), Switzerland (20%) and India (11%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 82%.

Summary

World trade
$19billion
Tonnes
2.1million tonnes
Price per tonne
$9,253
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. Zambia$7.4 billion · 39.1%
  2. Chile$2.1 billion · 11.3%
  3. Sweden$2.1 billion · 10.9%
  4. Bulgaria$1.6 billion · 8.5%
  5. Democratic Republic of the Congo$1.1 billion · 5.9%
  6. Slovakia$554 million · 2.9%
  7. South Africa$441 million · 2.3%
  8. United States$427 million · 2.2%
  9. Russia$385 million · 2%
  10. Namibia$346 million · 1.8%
  11. Pakistan$283 million · 1.5%
  12. Spain$245 million · 1.3%
  13. South Korea$236 million · 1.2%
  14. Turkey$140 million · 0.74%
  15. Peru$136 million · 0.71%
  16. Germany$134 million · 0.71%
  17. Finland$125 million · 0.66%
  18. Belgium$121 million · 0.63%
    re-exports
  19. Italy$116 million · 0.61%
  20. Tanzania$116 million · 0.61%

Top importers

  1. China$5.9 billion · 30.8%
  2. Switzerland$3.8 billion · 19.8%
  3. India$2.1 billion · 11.1%
  4. Belgium$1.7 billion · 8.7%
    re-exports
  5. Germany$1.5 billion · 7.9%
  6. Canada$1.3 billion · 7%
  7. Austria$555 million · 2.9%
  8. Finland$481 million · 2.5%
  9. Kazakhstan$385 million · 2%
  10. South Korea$327 million · 1.7%
  11. Serbia$146 million · 0.77%
  12. Hong Kong$116 million · 0.61%
    re-exports
  13. Spain$115 million · 0.6%
  14. Singapore$114 million · 0.6%
    re-exports
  15. Cambodia$111 million · 0.58%
  16. Sweden$105 million · 0.55%
  17. Australia$104 million · 0.55%
  18. Italy$63 million · 0.33%
  19. Thailand$32 million · 0.17%
  20. Russia$31 million · 0.16%

Trend

Who sells it

Zambia has been the top exporter since 2016

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

  • Zambia 7.4
  • Chile 2.1
  • Sweden 2.1
  • Bulgaria 1.6
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo 1.1

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
Zambia< 0.017.4
Chile0.472.1
Sweden0.032.1
Bulgaria0.131.6
Democratic Republic of the Congo< 0.011.1

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 234% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $9,253

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$2,771
1996$2,189
1997$2,321
1998$1,988
1999$1,934
2000$2,018
2001$1,997
2002$1,925
2003$2,043
2004$2,913
2005$3,696
2006$6,813
2007$7,291
2008$6,738
2009$5,395
2010$7,860
2011$9,031
2012$8,392
2013$7,701
2014$7,035
2015$5,728
2016$4,700
2017$5,107
2018$5,950
2019$6,388
2020$6,427
2021$9,291
2022$8,987
2023$8,736
2024$9,253

What it includes

  • 7402 · Unrefined copper

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

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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