Zambia extends duty-free copper concentrate export waiver amid smelter outages
2026-06-04 11:50:02 [Print]
Zambia has extended the suspension of a 10% duty on copper concentrate exports until September 30, in order to help clear stockpiles of unprocessed material as the country's major smelters undergo extended maintenance and repairs.
Copper miners in Africa's second-largest producer of the metal-used extensively in electrical infrastructure-are undertaking lengthy smelter maintenance programs following technical challenges that have affected processed output.
Zambia mostly exports its copper in the form of refined cathodes rather than as concentrate. The country exported 890,346 metric tonnes of copper in 2025 and plans to raise national output to 3 million tonnes by 2031.
According to a government notice seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the duty suspension-first implemented in August 2025-covers 271,742 tonnes of copper concentrates.
Mopani Copper Mines, jointly owned by Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding and Zambia's state mining company ZCCM-IH, has been granted the largest duty-free export quota of 100,000 tonnes of copper concentrates.
Barrick Mining Corp's Lumwana Mining Company follows with a quota of 56,986 metric tonnes, while First Quantum Minerals and Chinese-owned Nkana Mining and Minerals Processing each have quotas of approximately 43,000 tonnes.
Lubambe Copper Mine, which is 70% owned by China's JCHX Mining, has a duty-free export quota of 15,000 tonnes, while Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines has a quota of 12,541 tonnes, according to the government notice.
Copper miners in Africa's second-largest producer of the metal-used extensively in electrical infrastructure-are undertaking lengthy smelter maintenance programs following technical challenges that have affected processed output.
Zambia mostly exports its copper in the form of refined cathodes rather than as concentrate. The country exported 890,346 metric tonnes of copper in 2025 and plans to raise national output to 3 million tonnes by 2031.
According to a government notice seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the duty suspension-first implemented in August 2025-covers 271,742 tonnes of copper concentrates.
Mopani Copper Mines, jointly owned by Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding and Zambia's state mining company ZCCM-IH, has been granted the largest duty-free export quota of 100,000 tonnes of copper concentrates.
Barrick Mining Corp's Lumwana Mining Company follows with a quota of 56,986 metric tonnes, while First Quantum Minerals and Chinese-owned Nkana Mining and Minerals Processing each have quotas of approximately 43,000 tonnes.
Lubambe Copper Mine, which is 70% owned by China's JCHX Mining, has a duty-free export quota of 15,000 tonnes, while Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines has a quota of 12,541 tonnes, according to the government notice.
Blister Copper 98.5%min Delivered China RC
Unit:RMB/mt
China's copper rod producers' suspension number statistics by province by month
Unit: pcs
