Mitsubishi Materials Cuts H2 Japan Refined Copper Plan by 18% on Naoshima and Onahama Smelter Maintenance

Published: Oct 05, 2026 09:36 (GMT+8)

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Mitsubishi Materials has released its refined copper production plan for October 2026-March 2027, targeting 23,714 tonnes per month, or about 142,284 tonnes for the six-month period. This represents an 18% year-on-year decline and is also well below the 175,416 tonnes planned for April-September. The company attributed the reduction to scheduled maintenance shutdowns at its Naoshima Smelter & Refinery and Onahama Smelting & Refinery.

The new plan implies roughly 31,400 tonnes less refined copper production than the same period a year earlier. Japanese smelter plans are diverging: Furukawa expects output to fall 3% to about 21,500 tonnes, while DOWA targets 4,321 tonnes, around 12% higher year on year. With concentrate availability remaining tight globally, operating rates and maintenance durations at Japanese smelters will be important to monitor through the new October-March production cycle.

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