Thailand Remains China’s Largest Source of Copper Scrap

Published: Aug 21, 2026 15:41

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[SMM Flash] From the perspective of imported scrap structure, China’s copper scrap import source landscape remained stable in July, with Thailand, Japan, and South Korea still serving as the top source countries and holding the core share of China’s imports. At the same time, shipments from multiple European countries saw explosive growth, breaking the previous supply landscape dominated by Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The trend toward import diversification became more pronounced, and China’s channels for importing copper scrap continued to broaden. In July, China imported 36,700 mt in physical content of copper scrap from Thailand, accounting for 16.76% of total imports that month, up 6.83% YoY and pulling back slightly by 1.56% MoM.

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