A “historic” peak of 3.1 million tonnes of copper exports was reached in 2024. The mining statistics report published on Monday 10 March by the Ministry of Mines states that “this is the first time in the country’s mining history that the threshold of three (3) million tonnes has been crossed, marking an annual increase of around 13%”. This historic performance was driven by the country’s major mines, according to the Ministry. The Chinese group CMOC, which operates Teke Fungurume and Kisangu, has seen its production “leap” by 55% to reach 65,000 tonnes in 2024.
Ivanhoe Mines, which operates the Kamoa Kakula mine, has reached 437,000 tonnes of production, an increase of 12% compared with 2023.
Growth in prospect
The rise could continue into 2025. According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, global demand for copper is expected to grow by 3.7% in 2025, while the British firm CRU Group anticipates an 8% increase in Congolese production.
With this outlook, the DRC could consolidate its status as the world’s second-largest copper producer, a position it achieved in 2023 after overtaking Peru, whose production fell to 2.73 million tonnes (-0.7% year-on-year).
The Congolese authorities believe that the price of copper from Kamoa Kakula remains lower on the market, resulting in revenue shortfalls for the DRC.
M&B
