Chile, Canada and Mexico, in descending order, were the main copper exporters to the United States in 2024, according to Department of Commerce statistics.

Chile’s corresponding sales were 6.2 billion dollars, which represents 35.7% of total U.S. imports of this metal.

On the other hand, exports of the two main U.S. trading partners totaled 4,000 million dollars in the case of Canada and 980 million dollars in the case of Mexico.

Copper exporters 

President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday to determine whether to impose tariffs on U.S. copper imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Already Trump recently ordered to place a universal 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports.

Below are the largest exporters of copper to the United States (including copper manufactures), in millions of dollars and year-over-year growth rates:

• Chile: 6,210 (+33 percent).
• Canada: 4,000 (+15 percent).
• Mexico: 980 (+7 percent).
• Peru: 920 (+3 percent).
• Germany: 670 (+2 percent).
• South Korea: 600 (0 percent).
• China: 510 (+11 percent).
• Thailand: 360 (+53 percent).
• Democratic Republic of Congo: 300 (+182 percent).
• India: 280 (+13 percent).
• Total imports: 17,370 (+20 percent).

Chile

Chile has great mineral wealth, both metallic and non-metallic. It is the world’s largest copper producer. In 2023, it reached 190 billion metric tons of reserves, equivalent to 19 percent of the world total. 

That same year, copper production reached 5,000 million metric tons. 

Copper is extracted through state-owned and private companies. Codelco, the world’s largest producer of this metal, generated 1.4 billion dollars for the government in 2023. Its profits are subject to a 40% excise tax, in addition to the standard corporate tax. As a state-owned company, it transfers all its net income to the central budget. Between 2019 and 2023, the government’s copper revenues ranged from $1 billion to $5.8 billion. In that period, copper exports accounted for more than 78% of mining exports.