Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Sep 10)

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected nine projects for up to $162 million in potential funding to advance recovery of critical materials including copper from industrial feedstocks, byproducts and waste streams. Copper-related selections include Still Bright’s ambient-temperature electrochemical copper extraction process and SiTration’s technology for selectively recovering copper and other metals from complex mining, refining, recycling and industrial waste streams. The selections remain subject to award negotiations.

Sims Limited plans to invest US$21.6 million in downstream processing across its North American recycling network to increase value recovery from shredded material, including copper and other non-ferrous metals. Its North America Metal and SA Recycling operations currently span around 230 sites and 35 auto shredders, with FY26 non-ferrous sales reaching 1.228 million tonnes. Sims is also investing in copper fines processing and its Pinkenba recycling hub as strong copper demand from AI infrastructure, electrification and grid investment supports further non-ferrous recovery.

SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: Overnight, LME copper opened at $14,045/mt, hit a high of $14,106.5/mt early in the session, then its price center descended and fell to $13,958/mt, before finally closing at $13,961.5/mt, down 1.2%. Trading volume reached 21,000 lots, and open interest stood at 270,000 lots, a decrease of 276 lots from the previous session, indicating long liquidation. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2609 contract opened at 107,630 yuan/mt, immediately hitting a high of 107,770 yuan/mt, then the price center plunged straight down to hit a bottom of 106,820 yuan/mt, finally closing at 107,020 yuan/mt, down 0.89%. Trading volume reached 42,000 lots, and open interest stood at 186,000 lots, a decrease of 6,652 lots from the previous session, indicating long liquidation.