Copper suppliers and buyers in Chile

Copper in Chile

Chile has been the world's largest copper producer for decades. Most output comes from very large mines in the Atacama Desert, especially in the Antofagasta region, with more in Tarapacá, Atacama and central Chile. Codelco, the state copper company, is one of the largest producers, alongside private mines such as Escondida and Collahuasi.

What is traded and how

• Concentrate is the largest export by volume, sold mainly to smelters in Asia under long-term contracts with annual terms for treatment and refining charges.
• Cathode, both electrorefined and SX-EW, is sold under annual contracts and through established traders. Many Chilean brands are LME registered.
• Small and medium miners often sell ore and concentrate to ENAMI, the state mining company, which buys and processes their output.

For spot buyers, real Chilean material is usually bought through the producer's own sales team or a large trading house, not through a chain of mandates.

Routes, ports and paperwork

Copper is exported from northern ports such as Antofagasta and Mejillones, and from central ports such as San Antonio. Exports are cleared by Aduanas, the national customs service. Cochilco tracks and reports on the copper sector.

A real shipment comes with a commercial invoice, bill of lading, certificate of origin, weight and assay certificates from an independent inspector, and for cathode, a brand and LME registration you can check.

Scams to watch for

• "Codelco mandate" offers for spot cathode at a discount. Codelco and other large producers sell through their own sales teams, not through anonymous mandates.
• Fake LME brand claims. Check the brand on the LME's public list of approved brands.
• Large discounts on Grade A cathode. Chilean cathode trades near the LME price. See LME discounts that are too good to be true.
• Mandate chains that ask for an IMFPA before you know who the seller is. See mandate chains.

Finding verified buyers and sellers in Chile

Chilean copper attracts a lot of fake mandates. On Copper Supply you can see who is behind a listing and what has been checked before you sign anything.

• Free to join and to post. Post a buying requirement or a selling offer. Every listing is checked automatically for fraud signs before it goes live, and stays live for 90 days.
• Every member passes an ID check (ID document and liveness) before they can message anyone or accept an introduction. Companies can be checked against their official registry. Badges show exactly what was checked.
• You choose who you talk to. A member asks for an introduction to your listing. You see their profile and what was checked, and you decide.
• The right people see it fast. Members who trade that product get an email within minutes of a new listing, and every Monday all members get a market report of every live buyer and seller.
• Deal rooms keep the NCNDA, LOI or ICPO, offers, SPA, IMFPA, documents and e-signatures in one private room. A broker who brings buyer and seller together is protected for 2 years on the platform.
• Check papers before you act. Run an SKR, SPA, COA, certificate of origin or bank letter through the document fraud check. The first check is free.

Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals. Before you deal with anyone, search the public scam list.