Import profit margins narrowed, and secondary copper traders' purchase enthusiasm cooled

Published: May 20, 2026 16:15

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[Import profit margins narrowed, purchase enthusiasm cooled] From late March to April, the center of copper prices continued to rebound, and ex-China secondary copper traders showed strong sentiment to hold prices firm, with the quotation coefficient of bare bright copper against LME remaining in a high range for an extended period, driving procurement costs continuously higher. However, downstream processing enterprises in China had limited acceptance of high-priced copper scrap and showed a strong willingness to push for lower prices. The profit margins on imported copper scrap narrowed compared to the previous period, which was one of the reasons for the MoM pullback in imports in April.

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