Copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo has entered the United States’ strategic minerals reserve, turning Washington’s pursuit of African resources into physical supplies held for American industry.
- Mercuria has delivered 12,000 tonnes of Congolese copper to America’s Project Vault.
- The delivery was disclosed on 15 October and took place during the same week.
- The initiative envisages $2 billion in private funding alongside a $10 billion US Export-Import Bank loan.
- It marks a new destination for Congo’s copper within Washington’s effort to strengthen industrial supply security.
Commodity trader Mercuria delivered 12,000 tonnes of Congolese copper to Project Vault during the week of 12 October, according to a disclosure on Thursday, 15 October.
The delivery gives Congo a direct role in an initiative intended to protect manufacturers against shortages of essential raw materials. Copper is used extensively in electricity networks, vehicles and industrial equipment.
Project Vault envisages $12 billion in financing, combining private capital with support from the US Export-Import Bank. That figure covers the wider minerals programme, rather than the value of the Congolese shipment.
The development goes beyond earlier arrangements to sell Congo’s copper to American buyers: this metal has entered a reserve designed to support civilian industrial supply during disruptions.
According to Reuters, Mercuria’s global head of metals, Kostas Bintas, confirmed the delivery at the FT Metals and Mining Summit in London.
“Copper from the DRC has gone into the vault this week,” Bintas said. The exact arrival date and transaction price were not disclosed.
From export agreements to stockpiles
The shipment follows a broader commitment involving Congo’s state-owned miner, Gécamines, which said in January that it planned to supply 100,000 tonnes of copper to the United States during 2026.
That arrangement draws on Gécamines’ share of production at Tenke Fungurume, with Mercuria providing financial and logistical support. The annual commitment should not be confused with the smaller quantity now delivered to Project Vault.
The Gécamines–Mercuria export arrangement has already been reported. The latest disclosure identifies a specific destination for part of the copper: America’s strategic industrial inventory.
Mercuria announced a $500 million commitment to Project Vault on 23 September. The company said its participation would support supplies for American manufacturing, infrastructure and energy systems.
The initiative, also called VaultCo, was designed by the US Export-Import Bank to maintain strategic inventories on American soil and preserve access to minerals during market disruptions.
A growing American market for Congo
The delivery comes as Congolese copper gains wider acceptance among US industrial buyers.
American copper imports from Congo hit a record 53,290 tonnes in July. Competitive prices and improved product quality helped attract buyers, while concerns over potential tariffs prompted importers to speed up shipments.
Those commercial purchases and the Project Vault delivery serve different purposes. Ordinary imports supply manufacturers and traders, the reserve is intended to provide additional security when supplies become difficult to obtain.
China nevertheless remains Congo’s dominant copper customer. The latest delivery demonstrates a developing American supply route, rather than evidence that Washington has overtaken Beijing in the Congolese market.