(a) whether India has become the net importer of copper during the last three years;
(b) if so, the reasons for reduction in the production of copper along with the total production of copper during the last five years; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to re-start the closed copper factories at the earliest?
THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)
(a): The annual import and export of refined copper (in quantity terms) and trade balance from FY 2017-18 onwards are given below:
(Quantity in thousand tonne)
Year Export Import Trade Balance (Export minus Import)
2017-18 380.655 47.215 (+) 333.440
2018-19 49.650 95.713 (-) 46.063
2019-20 47.181 154.901 (-) 107.720
2020-21 125.825 156.724 (-) 30.899
Source: Department of Commerce
As per the table above, though India has been a net importer of refined copper during the last three years, volume of net import has decreased in 2020-21 after it had increased in 2019-20.
(b) & (c): The closure in May 2018 of the Smelter plant at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu of M/s Sterlite Copper (a Unit of Vedanta Ltd), which has an annual production capacity of four lakh tonne, has affected the domestic production of refined copper. The matter relating to re-start of the Smelter plant of M/s Sterlite Copper is sub judice. The total production of refined copper in the country during the last five years is as under:
Year 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
Refined copper production
(in thousand tonne) 798.712 842.961 457.245 408.398 363.638
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