According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's copper plate/sheet and strip exports totaled 12,246.37 mt in April 2026, up 5.46% MoM and up 14.01% YoY. From January to April, China's cumulative copper plate/sheet and strip exports reached 45,487.58 mt, up 16.14% YoY cumulatively.
In April 2026, China's copper plate/sheet and strip exports maintained steady growth momentum, with total exports of 12,246 mt for the month, up 14.01% YoY. Export destinations covered 100 countries and regions, with the diversified market structure continuing to consolidate. Export market distribution, Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan, China remained the top three markets, with combined exports accounting for approximately 31%. Exports to Vietnam sustained high growth, up 27.0% YoY, with its share rising to 12.0%. Exports to South Korea edged up 3.1% YoY, with its share edging down to 11.9%. Exports to Taiwan, China pulled back 12.1% YoY, with its share declining from 9.2% to 7.1%. Additionally, Malaysia and the US market performed strongly, with exports up 27.4% and 22.9% YoY respectively. Germany, Indonesia, and India also recorded varying degrees of positive growth, while only Japan and Thailand saw exports pull back slightly YoY. Overall, the export market exhibited a broadly diversified growth pattern.
China's copper plate/sheet and strip export trade mode structure continued the characteristics of the previous period. Customs data showed that processing trade with imported materials remained the core export mode in April, with exports reaching 8,451 mt, its share rising to 69%, maintaining a dominant position. Processing and Assembling exports were 1,879 mt, with its share declining to 15.3%. Ordinary Trade exports were 946 mt, with its share declining to 7.7%. Other trade modes accounted for 971 mt in exports, with a share of 7.9%.
Product structure, export performance of various copper plate/sheet and strip categories showed notable divergence. Copper strip, as the core export category, saw monthly exports up 15.6% YoY, accounting for nearly 70%, remaining the core engine boosting industry exports. Brass strip and cupronickel strip performed strongly, up 9.0% and 25.0% YoY respectively, with notable short-term MoM rebounds as well, among which brass strip showed significant MoM growth. Bronze strip and other categories, while still maintaining positive YoY growth, experienced MoM pullbacks due to short-term order pace impacts. Overall, mainstream categories all maintained YoY export growth, while MoM performance diverged due to differences in order pace.
(HS code 74091110, 74091190, 74091900, 74092100, 74092900, 74093100, 74093900, 74094000, 74099000) Data source: General Administration of Customs
