Copper exports from DRC to the US begin via Lobito Atlantic Railway
The first US-bound copper shipment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) via the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) has been successfully loaded.
The cargo of copper cathodes, destined for Baltimore, was transported by train to Angola’s port of Lobito on August 19, according to global commodities trader Trafigura Group, part of the consortium holding the railway concession.
This shipment follows earlier deliveries to European and Far Eastern ports since the Lobito Atlantic Railway began operating the concession in January 2023.
LAR, a joint venture backed by Trafigura, Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil, and railway operator Vecturis, secured a 30-year concession in 2022 to manage the 1,300-kilometer rail network.
The six-day rail journey showcases the efficiency of this western route for transporting minerals and metals from the Congolese Copperbelt to global markets, Trafigura noted.
The Lobito corridor is emerging as a vital export path for copper, cobalt, and other minerals essential to the energy transition, mined in the DRC and Zambia.
The US and EU are backing the project under the Group of Seven’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, aiming to challenge China’s influence in the Central African Copperbelt.
