Copper Pulls Back as $13,000 Triggers Scrap Supply

[SMM Shanghai spot copper] Approaching the delivery of the SHFE copper 2606 contract, coinciding with copper prices falling to the range of 103,300-104,000 yuan/mt, downstream purchasing sentiment improved. Against the backdrop of declines in both domestic and imported supplies, the Shanghai region continued destocking, and Shanghai spot copper premiums further rose intraday compared to yesterday. Currently, mainstream deliverable sources are hard to find at discount quotes.

The British Columbia Supreme Court has ordered provincial authorities to revisit the consultation process for Seabridge Gold’s KSM project, ruling that the government failed to adequately consult the Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation before determining the project had been substantially started. With an estimated capital cost of C$8.8 billion, KSM is one of the world’s largest undeveloped gold-copper projects and hosts approximately 7.3 billion pounds of copper reserves. The ruling could introduce additional uncertainty to the project’s permitting and development timeline, highlighting ongoing challenges related to Indigenous consultation and environmental approvals in Canada’s mining sector.

Chile’s Sierra Gorda mine and BHP’s Spence operation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to evaluate collaboration opportunities in supply chains, operating processes and infrastructure aimed at reducing costs, improving efficiency and enhancing long-term competitiveness. Both operations are facing declining ore grades and increasing operational complexity. At the same time, BHP is advancing a concentrator expansion project at Spence, while Sierra Gorda is progressing an SX-EW project expected to produce approximately 30,000 tonnes of copper cathodes annually.