Copper Refining Charges Jump After Curbs in Japan Capacity, Macquarie Says

Mar.27 (Bloomberg) --Charges to treat and refine copper ore have jumped after smelter and refinery capacity was curbed by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Macquarie Group Ltd. (MQG) said in a report.

Treatment charges rose to $130 a metric tons from $60-70 before the disaster and refining charges to 13 cents a pound from 6-7 cents, Macquarie said.

Three smelters and refineries were shut by the March 11 events and they produced a combined 442,000 tons of copper last year, equal to 2.3 percent of world supply, Macquarie said.