Distribute foreign article about copper (9)
I believe the answer is:
circulate
'distribute' is the definition.
('circulate' can be a synonym of 'distribute')
'foreign article about copper' is the wordplay.
'foreign' indicates anagramming the letters (foreign order of the letters).
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'copper' becomes 'cu' (chemical symbol).
'article' anagrammed gives 'cirlate'.
'cirlate' going around 'cu' is 'CIRCULATE'.
(Other definitions for circulate that I've seen before include "broadcast" , "Cause to become widely known" , "Spread - rotate" , "Pass from person to person" , "Make to go round, in a curve perhaps" .)