Macro Pressure Combined with Supply-Demand Divergence, BC Copper Fluctuated Intraday and Closed Down 2.35% [SMM BC Copper Commentary]

Published: Mar 23, 2026 18:41

Today, the most-traded BC copper 2604 contract opened at the intraday high of 83,810 yuan/mt, then fluctuated downward. After opening lower with a gap in the daytime session, it dipped to 80,880 yuan/mt, then moved higher in choppy trading before its statistical center pulled back, finally closing at 81,380 yuan/mt, down 2.35%. Open interest reached 5,529 lots, up 237 lots from the previous trading day, while trading volume reached 6,767 lots, indicating increased short positions by bears. From a macro perspective, geopolitical risks in the Middle East continued to escalate, and news of additional US troop deployments intensified concerns over a worsening situation, driving the US dollar stronger; meanwhile, renewed expectations for US Fed interest rate hikes jointly weighed on copper prices. Fundamentally, on the supply side, arrivals of both domestic and imported cargo were stable, with ample supply; on the demand side, downstream consumption continued to recover as copper prices kept pulling back.

 

The SHFE copper 2604 contract closed at 92,129 yuan/mt. Based on the BC copper 2604 contract at 81,380 yuan/mt, its after-tax price was 91,959 yuan/mt. The price spread between the SHFE copper 2604 contract and BC copper was 170, and the spread maintained a contango structure, widening somewhat from the previous day.
 

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

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Macro Pressure Combined with Supply-Demand Divergence, BC Copper Fluctuated Intraday and Closed Down 2.35% [SMM BC Copper Commentary] - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)