Mumbai, July 10 – The recently proposed 50% import duty on copper by former US President Donald Trump is expected to have minimal or no impact on India’s copper trade, according to trade analysts and industry experts.

India’s copper exports to the US are relatively low, with volumes averaging around 30 tonnes per year, valued at less than $300 million. In contrast, India’s domestic consumption is nearing 2 million tonnes annually, making it largely self-reliant and focused on fulfilling internal demand.

“India has a huge domestic appetite for copper, especially due to the expansion in sectors like renewable energy, electric vehicles, and infrastructure. The US is not a major market for Indian copper,” said an official from the Indian Non-Ferrous Metal Association.

The country’s largest copper producer, Hindalco, currently does not ship any copper to the US, driven by strong local consumption. Following the closure of Vedanta’s smelting plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu in 2018, India turned into a net importer of copper, with FY25 imports touching nearly $11 billion.

With domestic copper demand expected to double by 2030, the Indian government is focusing on enhancing local production through auctions and the MMDR Act. Since 2015, five major copper blocks have been auctioned, and 54 exploration projects are currently active nationwide.

Construction (24%), infrastructure (19%), and the industrial sector (17%) are the leading contributors to copper usage in India. Experts believe the new US tariff will impact American copper users more than Indian exporters, due to India’s limited direct copper trade with the US