Southern Copper H1 copper output down 3.8%, lifts 2026 guidance

According to SMM, Malaysia’s earlier tightening of scrap import regulations prompted many recycled copper processors to shift operations to Thailand. However, as Thailand has recently strengthened environmental oversight, some companies are again seeking alternative locations, including the Philippines and Vietnam. Despite this, Malaysia retains clear advantages in logistics, language and industry infrastructure. A recent improvement in recycled copper raw material imports through Malaysian ports has further encouraged companies to return. Some firms are already preparing to move back, while others are assessing the feasibility of doing so.

On August 28, Guangdong Kingboard Laminates Sales Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Kingboard Group, issued another price increase notice: due to tight supply and sharp price increases of core raw materials such as fiberglass cloth and copper foil, effective immediately, FR-4 full-thickness specifications will be raised by 10%; PP prepreg thick cloth (7628 and above) will be raised by 10%, and thin cloth (below 7628) will be raised by 20%. Currently, demand in end-use sectors such as AI computing power is performing well, and CCL enterprises have sufficient orders. Against the backdrop of rising raw material costs combined with downstream demand support, price-hike sentiment in the copper clad laminate (CCL) industry continues to heat up, and SMM will continue to track follow-up actions by peer producers.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 28 Aug , 2026