explainer · copper
Mined at 0.6%. Shipped at 25%. Refined to 99.99%.
Copper is mined at well under 1%, shipped as concentrate at about a quarter, and refined to 99.99%. Smelters blend concentrates from many mines, which is where most copper loses its mine of origin.
6 stages
Six stages, from mine to cable and car
Select a stage to see what happens there, who does it, and which record moves with the material. The bars show copper content by mass on a log scale.
Copper content is shown as elemental copper (Cu) by mass.
scale
Where copper comes from
of copper was mined in 2025. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025 estimate
of mined copper came from Chile, about 5.3 Mt. The DRC and Peru came next. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation, 2025 estimate
of refined copper was produced, including copper from scrap. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025 estimate
of refined copper was produced in China, about 14 Mt. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation, 2025 estimate
traceability
Where the record usually breaks
- At the smelterConcentrates from many mines are blended to manage arsenic and other impurities. Without a mass balance, anodes carry no single origin.
- At the rod millCathode from several brands is melted with scrap. Recycled-content claims depend on records that few mills keep per coil.
- At the end customerCopper is rarely named on a bill of materials, so origin and carbon questions stop at the cable or component supplier.
Our traceability rollouts link these records, from mine lot to finished product, so a claim about origin holds up when a customer or regulator asks for it.
Planning a traceability rollout, or one that has stalled after the pilot? Book a 30-minute call.
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The whole chain on one image
A 1080 × 1350 image of the 6 stages, sized for LinkedIn. Free to share with a link back to this page.
Sources
Production figures are USGS estimates for 2025. Stage ranges are typical industry values, rounded, not data for a specific plant.