SAEDNEWS: Iran’s commercial attaché in Shanghai has emphasized the importance of expanding exports of high-value-added copper products and capitalizing on China’s growing demand for copper-based products.
According to Saednews, Iran exported $618 million worth of copper products worldwide in 2024, ranking 50th among global copper exporters, according to Masoud Ostad-Hossein.
Turkey was Iran’s largest destination, importing $474 million worth of copper products, followed by China with $126 million. China therefore became Iran’s biggest copper export market outside West Asia, according to a press release from Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization carried by IRNA on Sunday.
Ostad-Hossein said Iran’s copper exports to China mainly consist of higher-value products, including copper cathodes and semi-finished goods. However, he noted that chemical derivatives—particularly copper sulfate and copper oxides—remain largely untapped export opportunities.
He added that China’s copper sulfate prices increased from $2,305 per ton in early 2025 to $2,909 per ton in the second quarter of 2026.
To strengthen Iran’s position in the Chinese copper market, Ostad-Hossein recommended increasing exports of semi-finished products and chemical compounds, expanding barter trade, and establishing small-scale processing units.
