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DR Congo · copper producer
DR Congo is one of the world's largest copper producers, with most output from Lualaba and Haut-Katanga around Kolwezi and Lubumbashi. On Copper Supply you can post a requirement or an offer for DRC cathode or concentrate for free, and every counterparty must pass an ID check before they can message you. Run any certificate of origin, assay or SKR through the document check before you pay.
The south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo sits on the Central African Copperbelt, which runs into northern Zambia. The two copper provinces are Lualaba, around Kolwezi, and Haut-Katanga, around Lubumbashi and Likasi. Mines range from very large to artisanal.
Large producers sell under long-term contracts. Smaller lots are sold by local traders, often in bonded warehouses in Kolwezi or Lubumbashi, or at a port.
Most copper leaves by truck, about 32 to 36 tonnes each. Trucks cross into Zambia at Kasumbalesa, then head east to Dar es Salaam, south to Durban, or west to Walvis Bay. Rail runs west along the Lobito corridor to Angola.
The paperwork follows the truck. A real exporter can show, per truck: the export authorisation, the CEEC certificate, the certificate of origin, the customs declaration and the weighbridge ticket. DRC papers record weight in kilograms, not "MT". See how to spot a fake certificate of origin.
Some DRC individuals and companies are on UN, UK, EU or US sanctions lists. Screen every counterparty before you sign.
If you can't travel to Katanga, Copper Supply can send its field partner in Lubumbashi for you. A DRC field check is either a company check (trade register, mining cadastre and the registered address, US$149) or a site visit to one warehouse, yard, plant or site, with GPS-stamped photos, video and a written report (US$450). We cover Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Likasi and the Kasumbalesa border. Pair it with an expert review of the seller's documents before any money moves.
Most DRC copper offers reach buyers through long chains of brokers on WhatsApp. Copper Supply lets you see who is behind a listing before you spend time on it.
Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals. Before you deal with anyone, search the members-only scam list.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Ask for the company's RCCM registration, its mining or trading authorisation, and the truck-level export file for the goods on offer. Then appoint your own inspector to see the material in a warehouse you can confirm directly. On Copper Supply you can see what ID and company checks a seller has passed, and have their documents reviewed.
A typical export file includes an export authorisation, a CEEC certificate, a certificate of origin, a DGDA customs declaration and a weighbridge ticket, for each truck. Transit and port documents follow in Zambia and at the port. Requirements change, so confirm the current list with the Ministry of Mines and DGDA.
The CEEC (Centre d'Expertise, d'Evaluation et de Certification des substances minérales précieuses et semi-précieuses) is the DRC state body that certifies mineral substances for export. A CEEC certificate is part of the export file. Forged CEEC papers are common in scam offers, so check them with the issuing office or an inspector you appoint.
Concentrate exports from the DRC have been restricted for years. A 2026 order banned copper and cobalt concentrate exports except for projects given an exemption by the Minister of Mines. Check the current rules with the Ministry of Mines before you agree any concentrate deal.
The market2 min read
Where Central African copper is produced, the road and rail corridors it travels, and the warehouses where most trades are inspected and paid.
Read the guideScams & fraud4 min read
Forged certificates of origin are among the most common fake papers in African copper offers. These checks catch most of them in a few minutes, starting with the per-truck rule.
Read the guideChecking people2 min read
Everyone says they have stock. Five checks that separate sellers who control copper from people forwarding someone else's offer.
Read the guidePost it free. Members who trade that product get an email within minutes, and only ID-checked people can contact you.
Copper in DR Congo: key facts
Real discounts exist because many DRC lots are not LME brand, are inland and far from port, and carry payment and transport risk. But very large discounts on large tonnages, with no inspection allowed, are a classic scam sign. See our guide on LME discounts that are too good to be true.
Deep LME discounts on Grade A cathode are how many scams start. What discounts we actually saw on real offers, and what pushes a price lower or higher.