Copper: World Smelter Production, By Country Or Locality

This table presents detailed data on global copper smelter production by country or locality, distinguishing between primary production from mined ore and secondary production from recycled materials. This information is crucial for understanding the supply dynamics of copper, a metal essential to various industries including electrical wiring, construction, and electronics. Tracking smelter output helps gauge the availability of refined copper, influences global market prices, and informs policy and investment decisions related to resource management and industrial development.

Analysis of the data reveals that China remains the dominant player in copper smelting, with total production increasing steadily from 7,980,500 metric tons in 2017 to 10,050,000 metric tons in 2021, reflecting both primary and secondary growth. Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, maintained a relatively stable primary output around 1.2 million metric tons in 2020 and 2021 after a dip in 2019. Notably, the United States experienced a significant decline in primary smelter production from 536,000 metric tons in 2018 to 315,000 metric tons in 2020, before partially recovering to 360,000 metric tons in 2021. Brazil’s total smelter production dropped sharply from 157,100 metric tons in 2019 to just 57,000 metric tons in 2021, indicating a substantial contraction in both primary and secondary output. Meanwhile, countries like Poland and Russia showed consistent production levels, with Poland’s total output increasing to 581,409 metric tons in 2021 and Russia’s total production peaking at over 1 million metric tons in 2020 before declining to 960,200 metric tons in 2021. Overall, global copper smelter production rose from 19.5 million metric tons in 2017 to 21.3 million metric tons in 2021, driven largely by growth in primary production and a steady increase in secondary recycling.

TABLE 21
COPPER: WORLD SMELTER PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY OR LOCALITY1, 2

(Metric tons, copper content)

Country or locality	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021
Armenia, primary	12051		8831		--		--		--
Australia, primary	360000		361000		401000		399000	r	367000
Austria, secondary	65939		66689		68595		75412		75370
Belgium, secondary	126900		140500		139900		152000		151900
Brazil:
Primary	118800		125500		115400		85400		49900
Secondary	24800		15300		41700		24000		7100
Total	143600		140800		157100		109400		57000
Bulgaria:
Primary	322700		316800		270400	r	291500	r	291700
Secondary	52500		41800		39800	r	43800	r	50000
Total	375200		358600		310200		335300	r	341700
Canada:
Primary	289400		290100		265000	r, e	255000	r, e	265000	e
Secondary	31000		30000		28000	r, e	30000	e	31000	e
Total	320400		320100		293000	r	285000	r	296000
Chile, primary	1264600		1246100		1011200		1206300		1206600
China:
Primary	6600000		7035600		7400000		7907000		8200000
Secondary	1380500		1561800		1688400		1749800		1850000
Total	7980500		8597400		9088400		9656800		10050000
Finland:
Primary	112400	3	123500	3	109700	3	130000	e	135000	e
Secondary	5900	3	6500	3	5800	3	7000	e	7200	e
Total	118300	3	130000	3	115500	3	137000		142000
Germany:
Primary	332600		311200		288600		312600		373100
Secondary	198300		157400		152100	r	179500	r	151200
Total	530900		468600		440700	r	492100	r	524300
India:
Primary	813100		481500		342300		243200		363000
Secondary	10000		10000		2000		--		--
Total	823100		491500		344300		243200		363000
Indonesia, primary	245800		213767		163429		279598		280400
Iran:
Primary	114200		204100		201100		223300		246800
Secondary	70900		100300		109100		127500		114400
Total	185100		304400		310200		350800		361200
Japan:
Primary	1118626		1169500		1112276		1259400		1197000
Secondary	369525		421736		394401		332100		357800
Total	1488151		1591236		1506677		1591500		1554800
Kazakhstan, primary	334844		327314		371359		378618	r	364413
Korea, North:e
Primary	10000		10000		10000		10000		10000
Secondary	5000		5000		5000		5000		5000
Total	15000		15000		15000		15000		15000
Korea, Republic of:
Primary	510000		530000		520000		513900		520000
Secondary	125000		140000		160000		166000		170000
Total	635000		670000		680000		679900		690000
Mexico:
Primary	270200		286200		277700		283600		289200
Secondarye	5000		5000		5000		5000		5000
Total	275200		291200		282700		288600		294200
Namibia, primary	45523		48970		45953		46792		42010
Oman, primary	5100		6000		--		--		--
See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 21—Continued
COPPER: WORLD SMELTER PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY OR LOCALITY1, 2

(Metric tons, copper content)

Country or locality	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021
Pakistan, primary	10000	e	12500	e	13000	e	5700		12400
Peru, primary	316882		327821		294315		342738		311000
Philippines, primary	240000		170900		217800		247000		219800
Poland:
Primary	457549		461865		489242		462868		482557
Secondary	53024		50001		51904		69696		98852
Total	510573		511866		541146		532564		581409
Russia:
Primary	730000		789000		801000		815200		737600
Secondary	216000		230000		240000		235000		222600
Total	946000		1019000		1041000		1050200		960200
Serbia:
Primary	67800	r, 3	65900	r, 3	72500	r, 3	45100	r	57800
Secondary	1400	r, 3	1300	r, 3	1500	r, 3	800	r	900
Total	69200	3	67200	r, 3	74000	3	45900	r	58700
Slovakia, secondary	48200	r	38400	r	51800	r	55300	r	59700
South Africa, primary	52600		33300		26000		22000	r, e	28000	e
Spain:
Primary	272000		284800		255700	3	257700		253800
Secondary	11100		10600		16300	3	18200		24700
Total	283100		295400		272000	3	275900		278500
Sweden:
Primary	153600	r	157100	r	140900	r	166200	r	156200
Secondary	65800	r	67300	r	60400	r	59900	r	66900
Total	219400	r	224400	r	201300	r	226100	r	223100
Turkey:
Primary	53400		85400		83700		78900		79000
Secondarye	5000		5000		5000		5000		5000
Total	58400		90400		88700		83900		84000
United States, primary	470000		536000		464000		315000	e, 4	360000	e, 4
Uzbekistan, primarye	110000	r	120000	r	145000		145000		150000
Vietnam, primary	15800		15100		19200		20200	r, e	22000	e
Zambia, primary	787900		828700		638500		750600		758500
Grand total	19500000		20100000		19800000	r	20800000	r	21300000
Of which:
Primary	16600000		17000000		16600000		17500000	r	17800000
Secondary	2870000		3100000		3270000	r	3340000	r	3450000

^eEstimated. ^rRevised. -- Zero.

¹Table includes data available through August 23, 2022. All data are reported unless otherwise noted; totals may include estimated data. Grand totals, U.S. data, and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.

²To the extent possible, primary and secondary output of each country and (or) locality are shown separately.

³Total smelter production is reported, but the distribution between primary and secondary output is estimated.

⁴To avoid disclosing company proprietary data, production is an estimate based on information in public company reports and does not reflect actual output reported to the U.S. Geological Survey.