The United States imported a record 53,290 tonnes of refined copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo in July, as American manufacturers increasingly accepted metal from Africa’s second-largest copper producer.
The July shipment was greater than the fewer than 32,000 tonnes the US imported from Congo during the whole of 2024.
Citing US trade data and industry sources, Reuters reported that Congolese copper accounted for 23.9% of all American copper imports in July. Total US imports exceeded 220,000 tonnes for the first time as traders rushed to deliver metal before the possible introduction of tariffs.
The increase marks an important shift for Congolese copper, which has traditionally been directed towards China and was previously less widely accepted by American industrial users.
Why American companies are buying more Congolese copper
