LME copper prices opened at $8557.5/mt and closed at $8547.5/mt in narrow range, a drop of 0.23%, with the low-end of $8529/mt and the high-end of $8599/mt. The trading volume was 22,000 lots, and open interest stood at 279,000 lots. The most active SHFE 2403 copper contract prices opened at 69050 yuan/mt and finished at 69120 yuan/mt overnight, with the high-end of 69130 yuan/mt and the low-end of 68920 yuan/mt, up 0.36%. Trading volume was 27,000 lots, and open interest stood at 152,000 lots. On the macro front, U.S. GDP in the fourth quarter exceeded expectations by 3.3%, and the number of initial jobless claims in the week of January 20 hit a two-month high. The market increased its bets on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. At the same time, crude oil rose due to geopolitical influences, boosting copper price. In terms of fundamentals, copper prices unexpectedly surged higher. Although the premium was lowered, downstream stocking enthusiasm was suppressed by fear of high prices and consumption was lukewarm. If copper prices remain high, consumption recovery is expected to be low. The weakening of overall consumption coupled with the continued impact of low-priced imported copper means supply is expected to remain relatively loose. Taken together, the impact of the People's Bank of China's RRR cut continues, and the market has increased expectations for the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut coupled with geopolitical influences. Copper prices are expected to remain high.

![[ Analisis SMM ] Panduan Visual Laporan Semester 2026 dari 19 Pabrik Peleburan Tembaga](https://imgqn.smm.cn/usercenter/gCNEi20251217171715.jpeg)

