Overall, refined copper makes up 87% of U.S. copper imports. Copper scrap accounts for 7%, and copper waste accounts for 6%.
Refined copper is used in electrical wiring, plumbing, and electronics. Copper wire is mainly used in power transmission, generation, and telecommunications. Copper scrap is recycled to manufacture new copper products.
How much copper does the U.S. produce?
The United States mined 1 million metric tons of copper in 2025 and refined 790,000 metric tons. It has 47 million metric tons of copper in reserve.
Chile was the world's largest copper producer in 2025, mining 5.3 million metric tons. It refined 1.7 million metric tons.
China was the largest copper refiner in 2025, pumping out 14 million metric tons of refined copper. Congo was the second-largest copper refiner that year by a wide margin, producing 2.8 million metric tons.