Copper Foil Operating Rates Rise in May 2026, Driven by Energy Storage and AI Demand

Published: Jun 15, 2026 13:49

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[SMM Copper Foil Monthly Operating Rate] In May 2026, the electronic circuit copper foil operating rate was 89.57%, up 1.14 percentage points MoM and up 13.96 percentage points YoY; the lithium battery copper foil operating rate was 90.68%, up 0.25 percentage points MoM and up 20.29 percentage points YoY. Affected by the grid connection deadline (June 30), energy storage projects experienced concentrated installation rush, together with high production schedules of power batteries, leading to steady release of lithium battery copper foil demand. Robust demand from the AI computing power industry drove the industry capacity upgrade toward high-end specifications, effectively boosting electronic circuit copper foil demand.

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