BEIJING: China imported 10,104 metric tons of copper ore and concentrate from Australia last month, bringing the 2023 total volumes to the highest since June 2021, customs data showed on Saturday, as Beijing eased an unofficial ban on Australian imports.
China has gradually eased tariffs and unofficial bans against a range of Australian commodities since a new government came to power in Canberra in 2022.
The curbs on Australian imports in 2020 at the height of a diplomatic spat over trade and security sent copper imports from Australia to zero in December 2020, from a monthly average of 72,430 tons for the first 11 months that year.
Chinese customs data showed 11,404 tons of copper concentrate imports from Australia in 2021, down to just 7 kg in 2022 and 1 kg in the first 11 months of 2023.
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Australian customs data showed it exported 27,500 metric tons of copper ores and concentrates worth $44.5 million to China in November, the most for any month since China imposed the informal ban in 2020.
It’s possible the November shipments from Australia arrived in China in December and therefore were reflected in China’s customs data last month, said analysts.
Reuters reported in November that Swiss commodity trader Trafigura had agreed to help Chinese smelters clear imports of copper concentrate from Australia.
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