Top 5 Copper Producing Countries in The World

3. China

Production in 2021: 1.8 million metric tonnes

After producing 1.8 million metric tonnes in 2021, China takes one of the key spots among the world’s top copper-producing countries, reaching a high of 1.9 million metric tonnes in 2016. However, due to the high copper demand in China, the country has to import copper to meet its requirements. In 2022, 72.2% of the country’s demand was fulfilled through imports. China is the world’s biggest copper consumer.

After Chile’s demand for increased premiums, China appears to be leaning towards imports from Russia. China’s imports peaked at over $10 million in February 2022 and fell to approximately $3.7 million in October.

The Tibetan Yulong mine is China’s largest copper-producing mine. Over 1.1 million tonnes of copper were produced from the mine in 2021. The mine will exhaust in 2036 and is majorly owned by Western Mines Group Ltd.