Loading buyers and suppliers
Loading buyers and suppliers
Copper ore · buyers, suppliers and prices
Copper ore is rock dug from a mine that still contains copper minerals, usually traded at around 1% to 5% copper. Small and mid-sized mines sell it, and processing plants that leach or float ore buy it, mostly by the truck in Zambia and the DRC. On Copper Supply you can post a free requirement or offer and deal only with members who have passed an ID check.
No live copper ore listings right now. Post yours and members who trade copper ore are emailed within minutes.
Post it freeCopper ore is paid for its copper content, not its weight. The price is usually a share of the LME value of the contained copper, minus deductions for processing, metal recovery and transport. Some plants instead pay a fixed price per dry tonne for each grade band.
A worked example: a truck of 30 wet tonnes at 8% moisture is 27.6 dry tonnes. At 3% copper it contains about 828 kg of copper. The buyer pays an agreed share of the LME value of that copper.
At low grades, transport can take most of the value, so distance from the mine to the plant matters as much as grade. Payment is normally per truck against the assay, within a short window agreed before loading. On Copper Supply you can price an ore listing as a % of LME on the Cu content, a fixed price, or open to offers.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Processing plants: leach plants that buy oxide ore and flotation plants that buy sulphide ore, plus traders and toll processors who supply them. Most ore is bought near where it is mined, mainly in Zambia and the DRC, because transport is costly compared with the value of the copper.
Usually as a share of the LME value of the copper it contains, minus processing, recovery and transport costs, and paid on dry tonnes. Some plants pay a fixed price per tonne for each grade band. Payment is normally per truck after an independent assay.
Many plants set a minimum of around 2% copper, but it depends on distance, ore type and the plant's process. Low-grade ore far from a plant may not cover the cost of transport. Ask the buyer for their minimum grade and deductions before loading.
Oxide ore, such as malachite, is usually treated by leaching with acid and SX-EW, which makes cathode. Sulphide ore, such as chalcopyrite, is crushed and floated to make concentrate for a smelter. Each needs a different kind of plant, so the buyer must match the ore type.
The market2 min read
How some buyers source ore directly from small and mid-sized mines: own trucks, joint sampling, independent assay and payment per truck. The maths and the risks.
Read the guideHow deals work2 min read
A trial of one to a few trucks is how most new copper relationships begin. How to structure it so both sides are protected, and what comes after.
Read the guideScams & fraud3 min read
Testing copper before you pay is good practice. The scam version lets you test material the seller doesn't own, then takes your money before you control the goods.
Read the guideChecking people
Post it free. Members who trade it get an email within minutes, and only ID-checked people can contact you.
Typical copper ore specification
Ask for the licence number and check it in the country's official mining cadastre, for example Zambia's mining cadastre or the DRC's CAMI. Check that the licence is valid, covers the area the ore comes from and is in the seller's name, or that the seller has written authority from the holder.
The DRC has restricted exports of unprocessed copper ore and concentrate for years, with exemptions granted from time to time. Rules change, so check the current position with the Ministry of Mines and a customs agent before you sign. Most DRC ore is processed inside the country.
A step-by-step list for checking a company before you sign or pay, and when it is worth commissioning a full due-diligence report.