U.S. imports of Copper (End-Use 14220) totaled $2.9B in August 2026, imported from 79 countries.
Importers of Copper paid $7.6M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 0.26% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Copper imports of $2.9B in August 2026 ran 29% above the year-to-date monthly average of $2.3B.
Last updated: August 2026 dataCopper imports enter the US in multiple forms — refined cathodes, wire rod, alloy billets, and scrap — each classified under distinct HTS chapters with different duty treatments. As a foundational input for electrical wiring, plumbing, and electronics manufacturing, copper demand tracks closely with construction and industrial output cycles. Pricing volatility on the London Metal Exchange and COMEX makes landed-cost forecasting particularly sensitive to shipment timing and origin mix.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
2.7K import shipments a month
End-Use codes describe different products on the import and export sides. Cross-direction exports are not shown for this slug.
Refined copper (cathodes, wire rod, billets) is classified under HTS Chapter 74 as copper and articles thereof, while copper scrap falls under Chapter 74 as well but in a distinct subheading for waste and scrap. The distinction affects duty rates and, in some cases, whether EPA or state-level hazardous-material regulations apply to the shipment.
Wire rod commands a processing premium but allows downstream manufacturers to skip a conversion step, reducing domestic energy and labor costs. Cathodes offer more flexibility in alloy specification and are the standard LME delivery form, making them easier to price against benchmark contracts. Tariff treatment and any applicable trade remedies on the specific product form should also factor into the sourcing decision.
Commodity 5 of 51 in category 1
Commodity 14220 · $2.9B of $63.1B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
Chile and Democratic Republic of the Congo together supply 59% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
Imports
Imports
$2.9BYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $23.2B of Copper.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.