SHANGHAI, Aug. 28 (SMM) – SMM's latest survey found that the average operating rate at low-oxygen copper rod producers in August has been 34.8%, essentially flat with July. Producers contacted in SMM's survey indicated that low-oxygen copper rod demand remains sluggish, pulled down by slack demand across the rest of the economy and slowing infrastructure construction in August. As the price gap between scrap and refined copper has expanded slightly during August, orders for low-oxygen copper rod have increased, directly feeding a marginal increase in the average operating rate at these same producers.