US turns to Africa’s mineral powerhouse as copper imports from DRC hit record 53,290 tonnes

Reuters reported that Congo copper has typically been sold at discounts of $550 to $800 per tonne, making it attractive to US copper rod mills and tube manufacturers. Improving quality and expectations of potential US tariffs have also encouraged buyers to secure supply.

The surge comes as Washington and Kinshasa deepen a strategic relationship built around Congo’s enormous mineral wealth.

In December 2025, the US and DRC signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement designed to facilitate stable, long-term US access to critical minerals from Congo and encourage investment in mining and processing.

The agreement reflects Washington’s growing interest in a country that produces huge quantities of copper and cobalt, while also possessing deposits of other minerals considered important to advanced manufacturing, energy and defence.

The US has long identified Congo’s mineral sector as strategically important. Its own investment assessments describe the DRC as possessing exceptional deposits of copper and cobalt, while minerals account for more than 95% of the country’s export revenue.

The strategic competition is increasingly centred on China.

Chinese companies have established a dominant position in Congo’s mining industry, particularly in copper and cobalt, while China also controls substantial portions of the global processing capacity for critical minerals.

That makes Congo important to Washington’s efforts to diversify mineral supply chains away from China.

China nevertheless remains Congo’s biggest copper customer. Chinese imports from Congo fell 4.3% in the first seven months of 2026, but China still accounted for 39.4% of Congo’s copper exports in July, compared with 23.9% for the US.

The latest figures therefore do not signal Congo replacing China. Instead, they show the US establishing a larger foothold in a mineral market that Beijing has dominated for years.

Source: Africabusinessinsider