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Copper
Follow Copper on My deskMiningBridge Indicative Price
Free public sources, with source and period. Indicative only - not a trading price, not an offer, not advice. "Not published" means no free, current price exists; MiningBridge does not copy paid prices.
| Product | Price | Source and period | Freshness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refined Copper Cathode (Grade A 99.99%) | $14,474 $/MT | World Bank, Sep 2026 monthly average | Current for its source |
| Copper Concentrate (26% Cu clean feed) | $3,592.7 $/DMT | World Bank, Sep 2026 monthly average | Current for its source |
- Largest producer
- Chile 23%
- Concentration (HHI)
- 1,206
- Producing countries
- 15
- Export measures
- 5
Global Production by Country
USGS MCS 2026 ground truthTop producing jurisdictions, annual metric output (thousand metric tons), and modeled global production shares.
| Country | Production (thousand metric tons) | Global Share |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | 5,300 | 23.0% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3,200 | 13.9% |
| Other producers | 3,000 | 13.0% |
| Peru | 2,700 | 11.7% |
| China | 1,800 | 7.8% |
| Russia | 1,300 | 5.6% |
| United States | 1,000 | 4.3% |
| Zambia | 940 | 4.1% |
| Australia | 730 | 3.2% |
| Indonesia | 710 | 3.1% |
| Kazakhstan | 710 | 3.1% |
| Mexico | 690 | 3.0% |
| Canada | 500 | 2.2% |
| Poland | 410 | 1.8% |
| India | 23.00 | 0.1% |
Export Controls & Trade Restrictions
5 Active Sovereign MeasuresStatutory export bans, quotas, and licensing regimes documented by the USGS (effective January 2026) and national trade ministries affecting physical copper trade corridors.
Indonesia maintains an export ban covering Bauxite (2023), copper concentrates (2023), and nickel ore (2020), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Laos maintains an export ban covering Raw minerals, including copper, gold, iron, nickel, potassium, silver, and zinc (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Tanzania maintains an export ban covering Ore concentrates of copper, gold, nickel, and silver (2017), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Venezuela maintains an export ban covering Bauxite, cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, copper, gold, rhodium, silver, and thorium (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Morocco maintains an export licensing requirement covering Copper (refined and alloys) and aluminum ingots (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Research
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Analytics for copper
Opens with Refined Copper Cathode (Grade A 99.99%) selected and its usual route suggested: Copperbelt Road/Rail to Dar es Salaam + Containerized Ocean to Rotterdam.
Sale price: $14,326 $/MT (MiningBridge Indicative Price, World Bank, Aug 2026 monthly average). Every input can be changed. Illustrative calculation, not advice.
Open Trade Desk for copper →- Supply shocks & export rules →Take out a producer or apply a quota; see concentration and supply move.
- Processing economics →Grade, recovery and costs from feed to margin.
- By-products & tailings →What is left in a residue and what it could be worth.
- Mine closure →Rehabilitation liability and when it falls due.
- Haulage & carbon →Freight cost and emissions by route and mode.
- Smelter catchments →Which mines can feed a plant, or which plants can take your concentrate.
- Secondary recovery →Critical minerals in red mud, slag, fly ash and tailings, and who holds them.
Ask Victoria
Victoria answers from MiningBridge’s public research and cites her sources.
“What are the main supply risks and price drivers for copper right now, and which countries matter most?”
Ask this question →Supply map
Open the supply model →Frequently Asked Questions: Copper
Sourced & EmpiricalEmpirical intelligence on copper production concentration, sovereign trade controls, and import reliance.
How concentrated is global mine production of copper?▼
Global copper extraction is unconcentrated with a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) of 1,206. The leading producer is Chile, representing 23% of global mine output, with 15 countries reporting commercial production, based on USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS 2026).
Which jurisdictions enforce export controls or bans on copper?▼
There are 5 documented sovereign export control regimes affecting copper trade corridors: Indonesia (Indonesia maintains an export ban covering Bauxite (2023), copper concentrates (2023), and nickel ore (2020), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Laos (Laos maintains an export ban covering Raw minerals, including copper, gold, iron, nickel, potassium, silver, and zinc (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Tanzania (Tanzania maintains an export ban covering Ore concentrates of copper, gold, nickel, and silver (2017), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Venezuela (Venezuela maintains an export ban covering Bauxite, cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, copper, gold, rhodium, silver, and thorium (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Morocco (Morocco maintains an export licensing requirement covering Copper (refined and alloys) and aluminum ingots (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.).
What is the net import reliance and critical supply vulnerability for copper?▼
US net import reliance for copper is recorded at 57%, with primary foreign supply originating from Chile, Canada, Peru, Mexico. It is classified as an essential strategic mineral across US and Indian criticality lists.