Copper, Zinc, Lead & Molybdenum Concentrates, Moly Oxide & FeMo

Metal concentrates are smelter feed sold by the metal inside them, not by the tonne: the smelter pays for a percentage of the assayed copper, zinc or lead at the LME price over a quotational period, credits gold and silver above threshold, deducts a treatment charge per dry tonne and, for copper, a refining charge per pound of payable metal, and penalises arsenic, antimony, bismuth, mercury, fluorine, iron, silica, cadmium and the wrong base metal over their ceilings. The 2025 export declarations under HS 2603 show Chile at 3.59 million MT of copper concentrate, two-thirds to China at around USD 10,800/MT, with Japan, India and Korea behind it; Peru has not reported 2025. Molybdenum runs its own chain: molybdenite concentrate at 45–57% Mo, from primary molybdenum mines and as a by-product of copper mines, is sold on contained molybdenum to roasters, which turn it into technical molybdenum oxide at 57% Mo minimum and, for 30–40% of that oxide, into ferromolybdenum at 60–75% Mo for steel mills. The 2024 export declarations put Peru first in unroasted molybdenum concentrate (HS 2613.90, USD 1.57 billion of 3.27 billion), Chile first in roasted concentrate (HS 2613.10, USD 1.46 billion of 3.69 billion) and Korea first in ferromolybdenum (HS 7202.70, USD 698 million of 2.84 billion). CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers trader and mid-tier miner parcels rather than majors' term offtake, against SGS, Alfred H Knight or Bureau Veritas assay with umpire terms and an agreed payable and penalty schedule, and Chinese molybdenum only with the exporter's MOFCOM export licence. Copper, zinc and lead concentrates are IMSBC Group A cargoes; parcels move in Handysize and Supramax lots or in lined containers, and because CBIL also runs a chartering desk, the freight leg is quoted with the cargo. Molybdenum products move in bulk bags, steel drums or cans by container.