Copper facts

Copper is a soft and malleable metal that is used in:

• electrical wires and cables for its conductivity
• plumbing, industrial machinery and construction materials for its durability, machinability, corrosion resistance, and ability to be cast with high precision
• many emerging and clean technologies, such as solar cells and electric vehicles

Learn more about copper

Uses

Copper is used in a variety of industries such as manufacturing, construction and transportation. Copper is essential to all living organisms as a trace dietary mineral. The adult human body contains between 1.4 and 2.1 milligrams of copper per kilogram of body weight. The green energy transition is anticipated to significantly increase demand for copper because of its uses in expanding electricity networks and clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles.

Production

Canada has almost 900 million tonnes of copper reserves in abundant deposits of sulphide and porphyry. Usually, copper is extracted as a co-product of other metals including gold, molybdenum, zinc, nickel and lead.

Canadian mines produced 510,782 tonnes of copper in concentrate in 2022, a 0.3% increase from a decade low of 509,350 tonnes in 2021. Canadian production decreased 17.7% overall between 2013 and 2022, from 620,989 tonnes to 510,782 tonnes.

Refined copper is produced at two sites in Canada, in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

British Columbia was Canada’s largest copper producer with almost 53% of total Canadian production. The province is home to Canada’s largest copper mine, Highland Valley, near Logan Lake. The mine produced 119,000 tonnes of copper in 2022.

Consult a map of producing Canadian mines

Canadian mine production of copper, by province and territory, 2022 (p)

Ranking	Province	Thousand tonnes	Percentage
1	British Columbia	270	52.8
2	Ontario	159	31.2
3	Newfoundland and Labrador	22	4.2
4	Manitoba	20	4.0
	Others	40	7.8
Total		511	100

International context

Chile was the world leader in mined copper production in 2022 with 5.2 million tonnes of copper, or 24.0% of the global total of mined production. The total world mined copper production was approximately 22 million tonnes in 2022. Canada produced 2.4% of mined copper globally, ranking 12th overall.

In 2021, world refined copper production was 24.9 million tonnes (20.8 million tonnes from primary sources and 4.1 million tonnes from secondary sources). In 2022, production increased 2.8% to 25.6 million tonnes (21.5 million tonnes from primary sources and 4.2 million tonnes from secondary sources).

World mine production of copper, by country, 2022 (p)

Ranking	Country	Thousand tonnes	Percentage
1	Chile	5,200	24
2	Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)	2,200	10
3	Peru	2,200	10
4	China	1,900	9
5	United States	1,300	6
6	Russia	1,000	5
7	Indonesia	920	4
8	Australia	830	4
9	Zambia	770	4
10	Mexico	740	3
	Other countries	4,900	22
Total (rounded)		22,000	100

World reserves

Chile had the largest global copper reserves in 2022 with 190 million tonnes, or 21% of the world total. The global copper reserves are estimated at 886 million tonnes, and Canada is estimated to have 7.6 million tonnes or 1% of the global total.

Trade

Canada's total trade (exports and imports) in copper and copper-based products in 2022 was valued at $15.5 billion.

Exports

Canada's total copper and copper-based products domestic exports were valued at $9.4 billion in 2022, a 5% decrease from $9.9 billion in 2021. The United States was the main importer of Canadian copper-based products, importing 52% of the total value, followed by China (17%) and Japan (13%).

Canada exported 396,277 tonnes of copper in copper ores and concentrates in 2022, a decrease of 5% from 2021. These exports were valued at $3.6 billion, which is a 15% decrease from 2021 values. China and Japan were the leading destinations of Canadian copper concentrate in 2022.

In 2022, Canada exported 136,254 tonnes of refined copper, which is a 14% decrease from 2021. These exports of refined copper were valued at $1.6 billion in 2022, down 13% from 2021.

Imports

Total copper and copper-based products imports were valued at $6.0 billion in 2022, up 15% from 2021. Refined copper alone was valued at $388 million.

In 2022, the United States was the primary source of Canada’s copper and copper-based products imports, accounting for almost half of the total (49%), followed by Chile (17%), Zambia (9%), and China (5%). Smaller amounts were imported from 129 other countries.

Prices

The price of copper has fluctuated significantly over the last decade. The average monthly price per tonne was US$7,332 in 2013, with a peak average monthly price of US$10,231 in March 2022. Prices declined after 2013, reaching a decade low of US$4,472 for the monthly average price per tonne in 2016. The price partially recovered in 2018 to US$7,066.

Prices dropped in early 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but recovered and began climbing quickly in late 2020 to reach US$10,162 in May 2021. The average price in 2022 was relatively high at US$8,822 after several fluctuations. In March 2022, the average monthly price of US$10,231 was a decade high. The price dropped to US$7,545 by July before recovering to US$8,375 by December.

Recycling

Copper is one of the few materials that does not degrade or lose its chemical and physical properties during the recycling process. Recycling has the potential to extend the use of resources and minimize waste.

The International Copper Study Group estimated that 33% of the world's copper consumption came from recycled copper in 2021.

Canada maintains a strong copper recycling industry. Substantial amounts of the metal are recovered in the Quebec-based smelter and refinery located in Rouyn-Noranda and Montréal, respectively.