
China’s copper imports from the United States fell sharply in March 2025, dropping 1.9 times to $204.8 million—the lowest level for bilateral trade since April 2023 and significantly below last year’s monthly average of $371.9 million, according to Chinese customs data. The decline comes amid escalating tariffs and shifting trade flows, with Chinese smelters and manufacturers increasingly sourcing copper from alternative suppliers.
The main beneficiary of this shift has been Russia, which in March became China’s second-largest source of copper. Russian copper exports to China surged 2.7 times year-on-year, reaching $790.9 million—the highest level since December 2021. This surge reflects a broader trend in which Russia has increased its supplies of copper, nickel, and aluminum to China, capitalizing on opportunities created by Western sanctions and trade realignments.
The sharp drop in US copper shipments is linked to higher US prices and the impact of Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs, which have made American copper less competitive in the Chinese market. As a result, more refined copper has been shipped from South America and Africa to the US, further reducing volumes available to China. Shanghai Metals Market forecasts US copper scrap imports to China will reach only 100,000 tons or less in the first four months of 2025, a steep decline from nearly 440,000 tons in 2024.
With global copper supply chains in flux, China’s pivot toward Russian and other non-Western suppliers is likely to continue, especially as trade tensions and tariff barriers remain unresolved.