Copper suppliers and buyers in Tanzania

Copper in Tanzania

Most copper you will see offered "in Dar es Salaam" is not Tanzanian. It was produced in the DRC or Zambia, came by road or rail, and is waiting in a bonded warehouse to be shipped. Tanzania has some local copper, from small mines and as a by-product of gold mining, but the volumes are much smaller.

What is traded and how

• Transit cathode from the DRC and Zambia, sold FCA or CIF from Dar es Salaam warehouses or as containers ready to ship.
• Local ore and concentrate from Tanzanian mines, sold under a Mining Commission export permit.
• Scrap, traded locally and through the port.

Because goods can sit in bonded warehouses, Dar es Salaam is a common place to inspect and pay. See incoterms for African copper.

Routes, ports and paperwork

Trucks from the Copperbelt enter Tanzania at Tunduma, on the border with Zambia, then drive to Dar es Salaam. The TAZARA railway also runs from Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.

For transit copper, the origin papers come from the DRC or Zambia, and the cargo moves under TRA transit control. The certificate of origin should name the real country of origin, not Tanzania.

For Tanzanian minerals, exporters need a licence from the Mining Commission and an export permit for each consignment, issued once royalties and fees are paid. Tanzania banned exports of unprocessed minerals and concentrates in 2017 and later allowed some concentrate exports again. Check the current rules with the Mining Commission before you agree a deal.

Scams to watch for

• "Tanzanian cathode" with a Tanzanian certificate of origin for copper that was clearly made in the DRC or Zambia.
• Recycled SKRs for lots in a Dar es Salaam warehouse that has never heard of the seller. Confirm any SKR with the warehouse yourself.
• Port and release fees you must pay before inspection.
• Large tonnages "ready to ship next week" with no container numbers or truck records.

Finding verified buyers and sellers in Tanzania

Many buyers want copper at a port they can reach, and Dar es Salaam is one of the main ones. On Copper Supply you can name the port in your requirement and see who is checked before you reply.

• 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.