Congo Boosts US Copper Sales to 500,000 Tonnes via State-Backed Venture

Published: Apr 17, 2026 09:33

Save

The Democratic Republic of Congo has raised planned copper sales to the United States to 500,000 tonnes through a state-backed marketing venture, marking a fivefold increase from its initial January commitment. The deal, first reported by Semafor, is led by state miner Gécamines and marketed through a joint venture with Mercuria Energy Group, with backing from the US International Development Finance Corporation. It targets copper output from Gécamines’ minority stakes in major operations, including Kamoto Copper Company and Tenke Fungurume.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

14 mins ago

Copper Prices Rebound, Weakening Substitution Effect with Scrap Copper

[SMM Copper News Flash] As copper prices rebounded above 100,000 yuan/mt, the intraday substitution effect between refined copper and copper scrap weakened compared to before. From the perspective of Shanghai spot copper transactions, the transaction price of EQ copper declined.

14 mins ago

17 mins ago

High Copper Prices Combined with Raw Material Shortages Put Brass Billet Operating Rates under Pressure

[SMM Brass Billet News Flash] This week (4.10-4.16), the operating rate of the brass billet industry was recorded at 53.68%, down 1.03 percentage points WoW. Copper prices fluctuated at highs, market trading was subdued, and new orders weakened; recycled brass raw materials remained tight, raw material inventories fell to 4.31 days, and finished product inventories rose to 5.42 days. The operating rate is expected to continue declining by 0.32 percentage points WoW to 53.36% next week (4.17-4.23).

17 mins ago

21 mins ago

Enamelled Wire Industry Operating Rate Pulled Back More Than Expected This Week

Dragged down by rising copper prices and sluggish end-user home appliance demand, enamelled wire industry orders shrank recently. According to SMM data, new orders in the enamelled wire industry fell by 6.79 percentage points this week, and the operating rate dropped by 3.87 percentage points, exceeding expectations.

21 mins ago