US buyers are increasingly turning to copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo, helping drive record imports from the African producer as industrial consumers capitalise on discounts to COMEX-approved brands.

Copper cathode deliveries from the world's second-biggest copper-producing nation hit a record 53,290 metric tons in July, according to US trade data. That gave Congo a 23.9% share of overall imports, which exceeded 220 000 tons for the first time as traders rushed to ship metal ahead of a potential tariff.

The numbers illustrate the rise in popularity of Congo's copper in the United States, which imported less than 32 000 tons of copper from the country in the whole of 2024. But Congo now has a lot more to sell due to higher production.

The increase is even more noteworthy given that no copper brands from the Congo are deliverable on the US COMEX exchange. Only two African copper brands - both from Zambia - are on the COMEX list. More than one-third of COMEX-approved brands are from Chile and Peru.

Albert Mackenzie, copper analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, said this suggested the Congo metal could be going straight to the US physical market. "And if it is, it will be a lot cheaper than the COMEX-deliverable brands," he said.

The premium paid for COMEX copper over the LME price was $400 to $600 at times over the summer, Mackenzie noted. "So buying non-CME registered material on an LME basis might actually have been cheaper for end-users."

Two industry sources dealing with Congo copper confirmed the material is priced on an LME basis. The first source said his metal is typically sold at a discount of $550 to $800 a ton to cover freight costs.

The standard of Congo copper has improved significantly in recent years, leading to greater acceptance from US consumers, the second source said, adding that buyers include copper rod mills and tube makers.

As large amounts have flowed to the United States, China's imports of copper from Congo fell by 4.3% in the first seven months of 2026, although Congo's market share over that time has increased by five percentage points to 44.7%.

In July alone, China's imports from Congo were at 95,778 tons for a market share of 39.4%, the lowest since October last year, although Congo remained easily the top supplier.