A 7.5% duty on copper concentrate imports announced by Zambia earlier this month and to be imposed from the start of next year is likely to distort an established global supply chain for the metal, according to industry observers.
Zambia’s smelters, already under stress, are currently importing about half a million tonnes of concentrate from the DRC. But early next year they are likely to find this is no longer a viable proposition. This would probably mean that the cross-border neighbour would have to find another destination for chunks of its surplus mine output.
However, this would probably benefit the SA logistics industry, as DRC miners would be forced to send some of their concentrates overland to Durban for shipping to China
This two-month journey, said press reports, was likely to disrupt the supply of refined metal for about six months.
