Congo’s Gécamines seals $1bn copper deal, boosts global leverage

• Gécamines buys 100,000 tons of copper, bypassing intermediaries
• Deal strengthens DRC’s leverage in US-bound critical minerals supply

KINSHASA, DR CONGO – State-owned miner Gécamines has directly purchased 100,000 tons of copper, a landmark move aimed at asserting the Democratic Republic of Congo’s control over global mineral trade.

Gécamines said the copper – representing about 20 percent of Tenke Fungurume’s 2026 production – is valued at more than $1 billion and marks a decisive break from decades of reliance on third-party traders.