SMM: Copper Wire & Cable Operating Rate Drops Further Amid High Prices, Holidays

Published: Dec 31, 2025 15:11

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【SMM Copper Wire and Cable Operating Rate Continued to Decline】 According to SMM data, the operating rate of copper wire and cable enterprises fell 1.8 percentage points WoW to 58.95% this week. Copper prices hit new highs and remained elevated during the week, significantly dampening downstream purchase willingness. New orders continued to show weakness, and as the prices of orders on hand for most wire and cable enterprises remained inverted against current copper prices, operating meant facing immediate losses. Consequently, many proactively opted for production cuts and holidays to mitigate operational risks, further suppressing the industry's operating level. Additionally, many enterprises have planned 2-3 day holidays for the New Year's Day break. Coupled with strong downstream wait-and-see sentiment after the holiday, short-term purchasing and production lack recovery momentum. Therefore, SMM expects the industry's operating rate to decline further next week (January 2 - January 8).

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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