How are treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) structured on concentrate sales?

Sales contracts follow international smelting terms: Treatment Charges (TC in USD per dry metric tonne) and Refining Charges (RC in US cents per payable pound of copper, or USD per ounce of precious metals) are deducted from the gross payable metal value calculated against average LME cash settlement prices over the agreed Quotational Period (QP).

Why is Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) testing mandatory for concentrate shipments?

Mineral concentrates are Group A cargoes under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. If moisture exceeds the Flow Moisture Point (FMP) and TML, mechanical ship vibrations can cause cargo liquefaction, destabilizing the vessel. Independent testing guarantees moisture is strictly below the TML prior to loading.

How are deleterious penalty elements handled?

Smelters impose financial deductions or reject lots if penalty elements exceed agreed thresholds: typically arsenic (As > 0.20%), antimony (Sb > 0.10%), bismuth (Bi > 0.05%), lead (Pb > 1.0%), or mercury (Hg > 10 ppm) in copper concentrates, and cadmium, iron, or silica in zinc concentrates.

What export documentation is issued by Peruvian authorities?

Peruvian shipments clear through SUNAT with a Declaración Única de Aduanas (DUA), bill of lading, commercial invoice, certificate of origin, weight certificate, and official Certificate of Sampling and Assay issued by an accredited laboratory (Alex Stewart, AHK, or SGS).

Americas · Peru

Copper & Zinc Concentrate Exporters FOB Peru (Callao & Matarani)

Clean flotation concentrates from Peru's premier Andean polymetallic mining belts for world-scale smelters

Peru represents the premier source of seaborne non-ferrous metal concentrates, ranking as the world's second-largest exporter of copper concentrate (HS 2603.00) and zinc concentrate (HS 2608.00). Mined across the high Andes and processed via selective froth flotation, Peruvian concentrates are prized by custom smelters across China, Japan, South Korea, India and Europe for their consistent grades and valuable precious metal (gold and silver) credits.

Concentrates move in dedicated bulk parcels or containerized bulk liners through Peru's specialized mineral export terminals: the Transportadora Callao conveyor belt system at the Port of Callao, and the mechanized TISUR terminal at the Port of Matarani in southern Peru. Cargoes are cleared under SUNAT (Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administración Tributaria) export regulations, requiring metallurgical assay certificates, mineral origin registration, and IMSBC Code compliance certificates verifying moisture content below the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). CBIL coordinates parcel sales (5,000 to 20,000 MT bulk; 500 to 2,000 MT containerized) FOB Callao and Matarani with independent sampling and umpire assay analysis by Alex Stewart International, Alfred H Knight, or SGS.

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The market in figures

Peru export leadership: World's #2 exporter of copper (over 2.6 Mt Cu contained) and zinc concentrates
Key loading terminals: Callao (Transportadora Callao conveyor) · Matarani (TISUR bulk terminal)
Typical copper spec: 24.0%–28.0% Cu · 50–150 g/t Ag credit · penalty limits on As, Sb, Bi, Pb
Typical zinc spec: 48.0%–54.0% Zn · 8%–10% Fe · penalty limits on Cd, As, Hg, SiO2
Vessel logistics: Geared Handysize bulk vessels (trimming per IMSBC Code); containerized bulk liners
Regulatory verification: SUNAT export declarations · TML moisture certification · Umpire assay

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

How are treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) structured on concentrate sales?: Sales contracts follow international smelting terms: Treatment Charges (TC in USD per dry metric tonne) and Refining Charges (RC in US cents per payable pound of copper, or USD per ounce of precious metals) are deducted from the gross payable metal value calculated against average LME cash settlement prices over the agreed Quotational Period (QP).
Why is Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) testing mandatory for concentrate shipments?: Mineral concentrates are Group A cargoes under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. If moisture exceeds the Flow Moisture Point (FMP) and TML, mechanical ship vibrations can cause cargo liquefaction, destabilizing the vessel. Independent testing guarantees moisture is strictly below the TML prior to loading.
How are deleterious penalty elements handled?: Smelters impose financial deductions or reject lots if penalty elements exceed agreed thresholds: typically arsenic (As > 0.20%), antimony (Sb > 0.10%), bismuth (Bi > 0.05%), lead (Pb > 1.0%), or mercury (Hg > 10 ppm) in copper concentrates, and cadmium, iron, or silica in zinc concentrates.
What export documentation is issued by Peruvian authorities?: Peruvian shipments clear through SUNAT with a Declaración Única de Aduanas (DUA), bill of lading, commercial invoice, certificate of origin, weight certificate, and official Certificate of Sampling and Assay issued by an accredited laboratory (Alex Stewart, AHK, or SGS).