The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has exported 2.35 million tonnes of copper in the first nine months of 2024. The figure, featured in a report issued on 30 December 2024 by the Ministry of Mines, is up 17% year-on-year. Based on this performance, the report’s authors estimated that the country’s exports for 2024 could stand at 3 million tonnes, thus setting a new record–at the national and continental levels.

According to the Ecofin Agency, a pan-African economic media, since June 2023, the DRC has exported over 750,000 tonnes of copper, on average, quarterly. The Central African country exported more than 800,000 tonnes in Q3 2024, Ecofin reports.

While the Ministry of Mines only releases sales figures without specifying whether exports include volumes from previous years, data from the Central Bank of Congo indicates little difference between production and sales. 

Still, the DRC will remain the world's second-largest copper producer in 2024, ahead of Peru which produced 2.47 million tonnes between January and November, down 1.1% year-on-year. Chile kept its crown, with over 5 million tonnes produced last year.

The increased copper output substantially impacts the local economy, as the mineral accounts for more than two-thirds of Congolese exports and a significant portion of mining revenues, estimated at $5 billion for the 2025 budget.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou (Ecofin Agency)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho