The Export-Import Bank of Korea will extend US$1 billion in financing to Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTCPL:GLCNF) in exchange for guaranteed supply of copper for South Korean industrial companies, Bloomberg reported.
The state-run lender notes that Glencore’s mining operations in Chile and Peru offer alternative procurement routes to protect against potential supply disruptions.
“By partnering with a leading global commodities company, we can secure a stable supply of key materials for Korea’s advanced industries,” an Export-Import Bank official said.
“This financing is significant as a proactive economic security measure.”
The commodities trader deployed US$4 billion in H1 CAPEX to build operational flexibility across its copper operations, aiming to reach 1 million metric tons of annualized copper output by 2028 and 1.6 million metric tons by 2035.
Driven by energy market volatility, Glencore’s first half group adjusted EBITDA rose 86 percent to US$10.1 billion, while net income attributable to equity holders reached US$4.4 billion.
To support its long-term expansion, Glencore plans to execute a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange as early as October, seeking to access the country’s US$3.1 trillion pension fund market.
The company is targeting inclusion in the S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX: XJO) within 12 months, requiring a local market capitalization of approximately US$1.1 billion. The listing requires no new capital raising and follows the expiration of a six month standstill on merger discussions with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO).
Concurrently, Glencore is negotiating with Canadian federal and Québec provincial authorities to maintain operations at its Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda. The plant processes 215,000 metric tons of copper concentrate and scrap annually, representing 16 percent of North America’s smelting capacity. Operations are facing uncertainty over proposed environmental regulations that would lower permitted arsenic emissions to 15 nanograms per cubic meter.
Québec has proposed delaying the deadline to 2029 while Ottawa considers a request for US$108 million in federal funding to help finance pollution control upgrades.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.