In June, the operating rate of secondary copper rod plants was 33.61%, higher than the expected 30.84%, up 3.69% MoM and down 8.44% YoY. The main theme surrounding secondary copper rod enterprises in June remained sales losses. According to SMM's statistical data from the gross profit theoretical model for secondary copper rod sales, secondary copper rod enterprises incurred an average sales loss of 410 yuan/mt in June, an increase of 165 yuan/mt MoM
Semi-annual Market Review & Outlook for Copper Cathode Rod: How Did Unexpected Cut-throat Competition in Processing Fees Shape the Market? [SMM Analysis]: With frequent tariff disputes and intense price competition, the copper cathode rod market in 2025 has experienced multiple fluctuations, even witnessing zero or negative processing fees in mid-year. Now that half of 2025 has passed, how are downstream consumption and processing fees performing? What are the differences or similarities in the YoY operating rate performance in H1? Below is a summary of the semi-annual review of the copper cathode rod market: