90% Copper Tube/Pipe Producers See Orders Rising in March

SHANGHAI, Mar. 27 (SMM) - SMM undertook a survey of 21 domestic copper tube/pipe producers recently and found that 90% of them believe orders will increase in March.

SMM anticipates the average operating rate at copper tube/pipe producers will be 76.42% in March.

90% of enterprises surveyed believe order will increase in March. Orders decreased in February due to the Chinese New Year holiday factor, but will improve in March. Besides, March is a traditional high demand season for air conditioners, so demand for copper tube/pipe will also grow.

5% of them think orders will remain at February levels in March. That is because orders at those enterprises were high in February, which maintained production according to plans in February, and orders are now sufficient. As such, their orders will have little room to increase further.

The remaining 5% believe orders will decrease in March, and these enterprises are sea water desalination tube/pipe producers. Most downstream enterprises take a wait-and-see attitude due to recent fluctuating copper prices. As copper prices have yet to improve in March, downstream orders will be affected, which will cause orders to decrease in March.