[Latest data from the General Administration of Customs] In May 2026, China's wire and cable exports were 282,000 mt, up 6.33% MoM and 9.2% YoY; cumulative exports for January-May 2026 were 1.2692 million mt, up 8.12% YoY. Among this, copper wire and cable exports were 141,300 mt, up 8.27% MoM and 14.26% YoY; cumulative exports for January-May were 633,700 mt, up 15.6% YoY.
Expansion in markets outside China continued. In May, China's copper wire and cable exports reached 208 countries and regions, up by 2 MoM, further broadening the export footprint. Demand was broadly positive across countries. Australia remained the top destination, with exports up sharply by 26.29% MoM; the Philippines and Thailand followed, up 29.26% and 13.22% MoM respectively, ranking second and third among export destinations. The combined exports of these three countries accounted for 21.33% of total copper wire and cable exports, serving as the primary force boosting copper wire and cable exports this month. Notably, driven by PV+ESS projects in the DRC and Ethiopia entering a concentrated delivery period and stockpiling for power grid upgrades, import demand from both countries surged significantly.
Data source: General Administration of Customs Unit: mt
By export province, China's copper wire and cable exports remained concentrated in coastal east China and south China. Jiangsu province led the nation with 36,000 mt of exports, Zhejiang (18,800 mt) and Guangdong (18,000 mt) ranked second and third, respectively. The three provinces together accounted for over 50% of the national total, with the regional export pattern staying stable.
Looking ahead to June, the pulse export benefit from concentrated deliveries in May is expected to fade somewhat in June. Coupled with the arrival of the traditional off-season, China's copper wire and cable exports are expected to pull back MoM in June. However, the continuous release of cable demand for power grids in Europe and the US, as well as AI computing infrastructure, will provide a floor for exports, keeping overall H1 exports running at a high level.
![Futures pulled back, prompting end-user restocking, while buying and selling sentiment recovered and discounts held steady [SMM North China spot copper]](https://imgqn.smm.cn/usercenter/OsOmo20251217171709.jpg)
