Tanzania Port Closure Disrupts African Copper Shipments to China
Election Unrest in Tanzania Temporarily Halts Copper Exports, Forcing Rerouting to Durban, Walvis Bay, and Beira
African copper shipments to China were disrupted by the temporary closure of the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania following election-related unrest.
Copper traders and producers in the Central African Copperbelt sought alternative routes for their cargoes, leading to congestion at other ports, including Durban in South Africa, according to multiple market sources.
The closure also meant that copper already delivered to Dar es Salaam remained stuck, several sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the business.
The Port of Dar es Salaam serves as the primary gateway for copper and cobalt exports from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to China, which consumes more than half of the world’s copper production.
The port has increasingly attracted shipments by offering more competitive freight rates for China-bound cargoes.
One senior copper trader estimated that approximately two-thirds of African copper exports to China typically pass through Dar es Salaam.
Logistics firm C Steinweg Group, which operates warehouses at the port, announced on Thursday that its facilities would remain closed through at least Friday.
Representatives from two copper producers and three trading companies told Reuters that they hoped the disruption would be brief.
Some had already rerouted shipments to alternative ports, including Durban in South Africa, Walvis Bay in Namibia, and Beira in Mozambique.
