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
