Shanghai spot copper has tight supply, low inventory, sellers hold prices firm and hold back from selling, and trading is active.

[SMM Shanghai spot copper] During the day, overall trading in the Shanghai copper cathode spot market was relatively active. According to SMM, currently available supply in the market is tight, making it difficult to find cargo.

On the one hand, recent port congestion has affected the berthing and warehousing pace of some imported copper, resulting in limited replenishment of imported supply to China's spot market; on the other hand, as the copper export window opens, some market participants have increased their willingness to export, which has also diverted some domestic available supply. Furthermore, on August 24, SMM's copper inventories in major Chinese regions stood at 114,200 mt, down 20,200 mt WoW from last Thursday. Inventories are declining rapidly, and the low inventory pattern further strengthens expectations of tight spot supply.

Against this backdrop, suppliers have a strong intention to hold prices firm and hold back from selling, making low-priced supply difficult to find; at the same time, restocking demand from downstream users and traders still exists, boosting relatively active inquiries and transaction performance during the day.