Loading buyers and suppliers
Loading buyers and suppliers
Tanzania · copper trading hub
Tanzania's main role in copper is as the eastern gateway for DRC and Zambian cathode through Dar es Salaam port, with smaller local production. On Copper Supply you can post a requirement or an offer for free and deal only with ID-checked members. Check SKRs, warehouse receipts and export papers with the document check before you pay.
Most copper you will see offered "in Dar es Salaam" is not Tanzanian. It was produced in the DRC or Zambia, came by road or rail, and is waiting in a bonded warehouse to be shipped. Tanzania has some local copper, from small mines and as a by-product of gold mining, but the volumes are much smaller.
Because goods can sit in bonded warehouses, Dar es Salaam is a common place to inspect and pay. See incoterms for African copper.
Trucks from the Copperbelt enter Tanzania at Tunduma, on the border with Zambia, then drive to Dar es Salaam. The TAZARA railway also runs from Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
For transit copper, the origin papers come from the DRC or Zambia, and the cargo moves under TRA transit control. The certificate of origin should name the real country of origin, not Tanzania.
For Tanzanian minerals, exporters need a licence from the Mining Commission and an export permit for each consignment, issued once royalties and fees are paid. Tanzania banned exports of unprocessed minerals and concentrates in 2017 and later allowed some concentrate exports again. Check the current rules with the Mining Commission before you agree a deal.
Many buyers want copper at a port they can reach, and Dar es Salaam is one of the main ones. On Copper Supply you can name the port in your requirement and see who is checked before you reply.
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.
Tanzanian minerals need a Mining Commission export permit for each consignment, issued after royalties and fees are paid, plus the TRA customs declaration and commercial papers. Copper in transit from the DRC or Zambia carries its original export and origin papers and moves under TRA transit control. Check the current list with the Mining Commission and TRA.
To export Tanzanian copper you need the right licence from the Mining Commission, such as a mineral dealer licence, and an export permit for each shipment. Royalties and fees are paid before the permit is issued. Rules change, so speak to the Mining Commission or a local lawyer before you start.
Tanzania banned exports of unprocessed minerals and concentrates in 2017 to push local processing, and later allowed some concentrate exports again. The position depends on the product and current policy. Check with the Mining Commission before you agree a concentrate deal.
Usually not. Most of it is DRC or Zambian copper in transit. The certificate of origin should state the real country of production, and the seller should be able to show the export papers from that country.
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 guideDocuments2 min read
How copper is held in bonded warehouses, what a genuine receipt looks like, why a bank SKR for cathode is a red flag, and how to confirm ownership.
Read the guideHow deals work2 min read
The incoterm decides who pays for transport, who carries the risk and where the price applies. The ones that work for African copper, and the ones that cause trouble.
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 Tanzania: key facts
Get the warehouse's details from a public source, not from the seller, and confirm the SKR or warehouse receipt with them directly. Then send an independent inspector to see, weigh and sample the lot. Never pay a release or storage fee before this.
Some "warehouses" exist only as a website and a phone number. How to confirm a warehouse, and the copper in it, before you rely on a receipt.