There are many countries that produce cathode copper, with Chile and Peru leading the way. Although copper prices hit record highs in the first half of 2021, they pulled back slightly in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak. In 2020, world copper production has reached 20 million tons. While Chile consistently ranks first in production, some countries' production statistics may surprise you. Chile Production: 5.7 million tons Copper production in Chile fell slightly between 2019 and 2020, reaching 5.7 million tons last year. Despite the coronavirus, copper mining companies including Codelco, BHP Billiton, Glencore, and Antofagasta are still producing in large quantities in the country. The country has suffered one of the worst damages from the coronavirus in Latin America. Peru Production: 2.2 million tons Copper production in Peru fell from 2.46 million tons in 2019 to 2.2 million tons in 2020. Two major copper-producing operations in Peru include Ann Glo American Company's Cuelaco mine and Southern Copper Company's Tia Maria copper mine. Most of the copper produced in this country is exported to China, followed by Japan, South Korea, Germany, and other countries. While copper production in Peru increased by more than 97% from 2008 to 2019, 2020 will be a different story. The Corona pandemic has also affected copper production in Peru, which fell 20.4% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 as the government took strict measures to contain the virus. Naturally, the country's copper mines resumed activity in June 2020. China Production: 1.7 million tons China is the world's largest consumer of copper and remains the third largest producer in 2020. Its production rose slightly last year, slightly up from 1.68 million tons in 2019. Zijin Mining Group is one of China's leading producers of the metal. The company owns the "Zijinshan" gold-copper mine and the "Shougang" gold-copper mine. The trade war between the US and China means heavy tariffs on Chinese exports. In early 2020, commitments in the two countries' Phase 1 trade agreement strengthened the copper market, and in May 2020, US copper concentrate again entered Chinese ports. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Production: 1.3 million tons Copper production in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was relatively stable last year, rising from 1.29 million tons in 2019 to 1.3 million tons in 2020 One of DRC's key growth assets is the Kamua Kakula project at the Ivanhoe mine, a partnership with China's Zijin Mining Group. The U.S. Production: 1.2 million tons The fifth place in copper production belongs to the United States, whose copper production fell from 1.26 million tons in 2019 to 1.2 million tons in 2020. According to the U.S. The Geological Survey saw the nation's copper production decline last year due to lower production at the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah (due to lower grades) and lower copper output. Production at the "Chino" mine in New Mexico (activity suspended due to Covid-19. 19) Most of the country's copper production comes from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Michigan, and Missouri. The Bingham Canyon Copper Mine is one of the largest copper mines in the United States. The US is the top five exporters of copper to world markets in the form of ore, concentrate and refined copper. China is one of the largest importers of US copper, and the trade war between the two countries has had a major impact on global copper trade. Australia Production: 870,000 tons Australian copper production fell from 934,000 tons in 2019 to 870,000 tons in 2020. BHP Billiton's Olympic tailings mine is one of the largest copper, uranium and gold mines in South Australia. Although the property is known for producing uranium, it also has the world's fourth largest copper reserves. In addition, Mount Isa, Queensland, operated by a Glencore subsidiary, is one of Australia's largest copper producers. Russia Production: 850,000 tons In the list of top copper producers, Russia's copper production rose from ninth to seventh, an increase in 2020 compared to 801,000 tons in 2019. One of the largest copper mines in Russia is the Udokan mine in Siberia, currently owned by Copper Udokan (formerly Baikal Mining Company). The reserve made headlines in 2018 when it was revealed that Lake Baikal was seeking to attract $1.25 billion to develop mining and metallurgical facilities in the project. The facility is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in early 2022. Zambia Production: 830,000 tons Zambia's copper output rose last year, ranking eighth by country. The country produced 830,000 tons of copper last year, up from 797,000 tons in 2019. Zambia has four major mines that are responsible for the country's copper production. These mines include Lomoana (Barrick Gold), Kansanshi (First Quantum Minerals), Mopani Copper Mines (Glencore), and Kankula Copper Mines (Vedanta). The Zambian government has just announced that it will fully own the Mopani copper mine (it has a 10% stake). Mexico Production: 690,000 tons Mexico ranks ninth in copper production. The country's copper production fell from 715,000 tons in 2019 to 690,000 tons in 2020. Sonora-based Bupoavista del Cobre is the country's largest copper producer. Kazakhstan Production: 580,000 tons Kazakhstan has taken a big step toward production growth by increasing its copper output from 603,000 tons in 2018 to 700,000 tons in 2019. However, the country's copper output fell to 580,000 tons in 2020. Kaz Minerals accounts for a large part of Kazakhstan's copper production. The company is developing the Aktogay mine to double its processing capacity, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
- copper suppliers
There are many different countries and companies around the world that are good suppliers of copper in the market. here is a list of companies with the highest rate of product capitalization. Codelco is the largest production and reserves company owned by the Chilean government. But investors looking to invest in the copper industry have many options, so in the table below you can see the largest copper-producing companies by market capitalization:
Company | Market Capitalization |
BHP Group (NYSE:BHP) | $124.3 billion |
Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) | $85.4 billion |
Vale (NYSE:VALE) | $56.4 billion |
Glencore (OTC:GLNCY) | $38.6 billion |
Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD) | $34.0 billion |
Newmont Goldcorp (NYSE:NEM) | $32.7 billion |
Anglo American (LSE:AAL) | $29.7 billion |
Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO) | $26.4 billion |
Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) | $13.3 billion |
Teck Resources (NYSE:TECK) | $9.5 billion |
BHP Billiton is one of the world's mineral producers. The company operates several mines in Australia, Canada, the USA, Chile and Peru focusing on copper, iron ore, coal, nickel, zinc and potash. It is also active in oil and gas production from offshore platforms in the United States, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago. The company produced more than 1.75 million tons of copper in 2018, or 3.9 billion pounds. The company's largest asset is the Olympic Dam mine in Australia. The mine is one of the most important reserves of copper, gold and uranium, in addition it contains large amounts of silver. The rest of BHP's copper production comes from several mines in South America, notably the Escondida mine in Chile, one of the largest in the world. While it is considered one of the largest copper producers, its biggest income comes from iron ore. The commodity accounted for 39% of the company's revenue in 2018 (before tax and depreciation), followed by copper at 28%, coal at 19%, and natural gas at 14%. Of course, copper is an important part of BHP Billiton's future. In 2017, the company approved the development of the "Spence" mine in Chile to increase production, and the production phase will begin in 2021. It has other major projects in the pipeline. These include a significant increase in production from the Olympic Dam mine and the U.S. The Resolution copper project is one of the world's largest undeveloped copper reserves. With these factors in mind, BHP Billiton can be a leader in the copper industry for many years to come. Rio Tinto Rio Tinto is one of the mining companies that produce a range of products with interests in copper, aluminum, diamonds, gold, iron ore, and uranium. The company operates in 35 countries (six continents), but most of its activity is in Australia and North America. Rio Tinto produced 643,000 tons of copper last year. The Ayutulghavi mine in Mongolia is the flagship of Rio Tinto's copper business. The mine is one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world. While the company, like BHP Group, is a major copper producer, the majority of its funding comes from iron ore. Last year, iron ore accounted for 62% of the company's earnings before tax and depreciation. The aluminum made up 17%, copper and diamonds accounted for 15%, and energy and minerals accounted for 12%. The company is on the rise in the market and is still developing its Oyu Tolgoi and Kennecott mines in the US, which will generate significant production growth in 2023. In addition, Rio Tinto is a partner with BHP Billiton in the "Resolution" copper project in the USA. Rio Tinto looks set to continue to be one of the largest producers of red metal in the coming years due to growing opportunities. Vale "Vale" is a Brazilian company with operations in Oman, Canada, China and Mozambique in addition to the country. Vale is the world's largest producer of iron ore and nickel and also mines manganese ore, metal alloys, platinum, coal, silver, gold, copper and cobalt. In 2018, Vale produced around 395,000 tons of copper from mines in Brazil and Canada. In Brazil, it operates two mines, Salobo and Sosgo. The Salobo mine is one of the largest known copper mines in Brazil. Canada's Vale also mines copper in its nickel business. Vale, like the two previous companies, although considered one of the important copper producers, derives a significant part of its revenue from iron ore, so last year 74% of the company's revenue came from the sale of iron ore, then nickel and copper. It was second with 13% and 6%. The company's copper production fell compared to previous years as it focused on iron ore and nickel. For example, the company's copper production in 2016 was estimated at more than 450,000 tons. This was due to the continued depletion of the company's mines and the sale of a stake in the Lubambe mine in Zambia in 2017. With all these explanations, Vale agreed to the Salobo 3 project. With an investment of 1 billion dollars, the mine's production will increase from 200 tons to 250,000 tons in 2021. As a result of such investments, Vale will continue to be one of the most important suppliers to the copper market. Glencore Although Glencore started as a commodity trading company, it has grown over the years to become a major metals and minerals marketer. The mining company produces copper, cobalt, aluminum, zinc, nickel and metal alloys, while it sells aluminum and iron ore produced by third parties. In addition to its high production of coal, it also sells oil and natural gas. Glencore is one of the world's largest copper producers and traders, making it a dominant force in the industry. Mines in Africa, Australia and South America produced 1.45 million tons of copper in 2018. It also recycles copper scrap in North America and Asia. In addition, in 2018 the company sold approximately 4.5 million tons of copper through its marketing activities, typically sourced from other mines and suppliers, and in the automotive, electronics and construction industries to customers. Coal brings the most revenue generation to the company. Looking at the company's earnings before tax and before depreciation, coal makes up 33%, followed by copper at 30%, zinc at 15% and nickel at 5%. Glencore expects the company to produce 1.5 million tons of copper in 2021, growing at an annual rate of 3%. With the expected increase, its investment in the Katanga mine, a large cobalt and copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, will increase. The company also has projects to expand its Zambia mine and its Colahasi mine in Chile. Overall, Glencore is well positioned to remain a major player in the copper industry.