Zambia extends duty-free copper concentrate export waiver amid smelter outages
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Zambia has extended the suspension of a 10% duty on copper concentrate exports to September 30, to help clear stockpiles of unprocessed material as the country's major smelters undergo extended maintenance and repairs. Copper miners in Africa's second-largest producer of the metal used in electrical infrastructure are undertaking lengthy smelter maintenance programmes following technical challenges that have impacted processed output.
Zambia mostly exports its copper in the form of refined cathodes, rather than as concentrate. The country exported 890,346 metric tons of copper in 2025 and plans to raise national output to 3 million tons by 2031. The suspension of the duty, first implemented in August 2025, covers 271,742 tons of copper concentrates, according to a government notice seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
Mopani Copper Mines, jointly owned by Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding and Zambia's state mining company ZCCM-IH, has the largest duty-free export quota of 100,000 tons of copper concentrates. Barrick Mining Corp's Lumwana Mining Company has a quota of 56,986 metric tons, followed by First Quantum Minerals and the Chinese-owned Nkana Mining and Minerals Processing, with about 43,000 tons each.
Lubambe Copper Mine, 70% owned by China's JCHX Mining, has a 15,000-ton duty-free export quota, while Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines has a quota of 12,541 tons, according to the government notice. These quotas represent the major copper mining operations affected by the duty waiver extension.
The technical challenges at smelters have disrupted normal processing operations, forcing miners to export concentrate rather than refined copper. This temporary measure allows the industry to manage inventory while maintenance is completed.
The extension supports mining companies during the maintenance period and helps maintain cash flow for operations. Once smelters return to full capacity, Zambia is expected to resume exporting primarily refined cathodes as normal.
