Copper social inventory builds up overall as delivery arrivals coincide with weak consumption [SMM weekly data]

Published: Oct 15, 2026 13:53 (GMT+8)

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SMM, October 15:

Data summary: As of Thursday, October 15, SMM copper inventories across major Chinese regions rose 12,100 mt WoW to around 110,000 mt, down more than 60,000 mt from above 170,000 mt in the same period last year.

By region, the inventory buildup was mainly in east China, driven by increased arrivals of domestic cargoes due to delivery, along with small arrivals of imported cargoes. In south China, inventories continued to decline as nearby smelters underwent maintenance and supply tightened.

Overall, arrivals of both imported and domestic cargoes increased on the supply side, while copper prices stayed high and consumption remained weak on the demand side, leading to an overall inventory buildup. For complete regional inventory data, historical series, and detailed changes, please log in to the SMM data terminal.

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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