Tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold are now also being illegally extracted and traded at sites under the control of armed groups in countries including Myanmar and Colombia.
Experts expect the country, which accounts for more 30% of the world's copper supply, to produce 5.4 million tonnes of the metal in 2017, slightly down from the 5.5mnt it yielded last year.
Equipment and services suppliers will have to wait at least another year until they can fully feel the impact of this trend, says CSA Global — the world's second-largest mining sector consultancy.
