Copper concentrate and refined copper exports to China

Forms traded

• Copper concentrate
• Refined copper / Cathode copper
• Secondary copper feedstock
• Wire rod / Billet

Technical indicators Chinese buyers look at

1. Payable elements Copper primarily; gold and silver are usually priced separately once they reach a threshold content.
2. Typical grade range Concentrate is commonly 20%–30% Cu; cathode copper follows LME registered brands or the Chinese national standard.
3. Key impurities Arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, fluorine and chlorine are the focus at Chinese ports; exceeding the limits affects admissibility itself, not merely the penalty.
4. Moisture Weighed on a wet-tonne basis and settled on a dry-tonne basis; the moisture conversion method must be stated in the contract.

Admissibility and compliance points

1. Copper concentrate is subject to statutory customs inspection. A full elemental assay must be completed before shipment, and the report should cover both the contract's payable elements and the safety and environmental items Chinese ports examine.
2. Secondary copper carrying impurities must be assessed for solid-waste status before shipment. Where the appearance, source, processing route and composition resemble smelter slag or scrap, a high copper content will not prevent it from entering the solid-waste identification procedure.
3. Radioactivity testing applies to ore-sand cargo; goods in port bonded warehouses should have the test report, container-loading photos and seal records ready.

Applicable delivery channels

1. Alashankou–Dostyk (rail) The main corridor for Kazakh copper concentrate, suited to steady monthly lots; this port is a pilot for bonded copper-concentrate blending.
2. China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan train (Tashkent → Kashgar) Uzbek copper concentrate and cathode copper, about 12–15 days end to end.
3. Khorgos (road) Central Asian copper and lead-zinc concentrate, suited to smaller lots or cargo with tighter timing.
4. FOB Laem Chabang / Hai Phong Southeast Asian hub spot cargo, combined with bonded-warehouse inspection and warehouse-receipt endorsement.

The ports, delivery points, transport modes and applicable products for each channel, together with the full cooperation models and the eight-step transaction process, are set out on the two pages below.

Submit your copper supply details

Please provide the copper content, associated gold and silver content, arsenic/cadmium/mercury/lead/fluorine/chlorine figures, moisture, cargo location and export qualifications. The more complete the material, the faster we can match a Chinese buyer and put together a workable plan.

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