London, December 30th (Argus) - Due to the mine shutdown at the beginning of the year, the copper exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) decreased from January to September. Data from the Ministry of Mines shows that exports dropped to 1.91 million tons from 1 to 9, a 17.3% decrease compared to 231 million tons in the same period of 2024. Throughout 2024, the DRC exported 3.1 million tons, higher than 2.83 million tons in 2023. The department predicts that the production in 2026 will drop to 3 million tons. It did not give the reason, but major mines such as Kamoa-Kakula have faced operational challenges this year. Ivanhoe Mining, which operates Kamoa-Kakula, lowered its production forecast after the earthquake in May caused production disruptions. The company stated that it expects the delivery volume of Kamoa-Kakula in 2025 to be no more than 420,000 tons, lower than the previous forecast of 520,000 to 580,000 tons. Kamoa-Kakula is one of the assets that have supported the growth of copper production in the DRC in recent years, and the interruption may reduce exports in 2026. In recent years, after significant investment from China, China's copper supply from the DRC has increased. Driven by the demand from electric vehicle manufacturers, the Democratic Republic of the Congo became China's largest supplier of refined copper in 2024. However, due to concerns about over-reliance on China, Kinshasa is seeking investment from other places - especially the United States and Saudi Arabia. Approximately 80% of the DRC's mines involve Chinese partners.
