Higher prices of futures deepen spot copper discounts

Published: Oct 10, 2018 15:45 (GMT+8)
Spot copper was mostly offered at a discount of 70-30 yuan/mt over the SHFE Oct contract on Oct 10

SHANGHAI, Oct 10 (SMM) – Spot copper was mostly offered at a discount of 70-30 yuan/mt over the SHFE October contract in Shanghai on Wednesday October 10. This compared with a discount of 40 yuan/mt to a premium of 30 yuan/mt Tuesday. 

Spot discounts grew as higher prices of copper futures deterred downstream consumers from purchasing. Traders favoured cheaper, standard-quality cargoes, and this accounted for majority of the transactions in the morning. 

Transactions of high-quality copper picked up when its discounts widened to around 50 yuan/mt before noon. Discounts for hydro-copper mostly stood at 100 yuan/mt. 

The SHFE 1810 contract faced pressure at 51,000 yuan/mt and settled at that level at the end of the morning trading session, up 490 yuan/mt from that time Tuesday. The October contract traded around 150 yuan/mt higher from the November one in the morning, compared with a gap of 160-170 yuan/mt a day before. 

At noon, high-grade copper traded at 50,870-50,970 yuan/mt and standard-quality copper traded at 50,850-50,950 yuan/mt.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Escondida Copper Mine Fully Halts Operations After Fatal Accident; Restart Awaits Regulatory Clearance
1 hour ago
Escondida Copper Mine Fully Halts Operations After Fatal Accident; Restart Awaits Regulatory Clearance
Read More
Escondida Copper Mine Fully Halts Operations After Fatal Accident; Restart Awaits Regulatory Clearance
Escondida Copper Mine Fully Halts Operations After Fatal Accident; Restart Awaits Regulatory Clearance
BHP’s Escondida copper mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert announced on September 23 that a contractor was killed in an accident involving a front-end loader during equipment maintenance. All operations at the mine were subsequently suspended. Escondida expects copper production to reach up to 1.26 million tonnes in fiscal 2026. Chile’s mining regulator Sernageomin has dispatched personnel to investigate the incident. Under local procedures, operations cannot resume after a fatal accident until inspectors confirm that the site is safe. No restart timeline has been provided. Meanwhile, Escondida’s supervisors’ union is preparing to mobilise members to reject the latest wage proposal. The combination of labour uncertainty and the production halt has increased near-term supply risks.
1 hour ago
August Trade Deficit Widens, Divergence Emerges in Copper Foil Imports and Exports
11 hours ago
August Trade Deficit Widens, Divergence Emerges in Copper Foil Imports and Exports
Read More
August Trade Deficit Widens, Divergence Emerges in Copper Foil Imports and Exports
August Trade Deficit Widens, Divergence Emerges in Copper Foil Imports and Exports
11 hours ago
2026 National Day Holiday Copper Processing Enterprise Shutdown Survey - Wire and Cable [SMM Analysis]
12 hours ago
2026 National Day Holiday Copper Processing Enterprise Shutdown Survey - Wire and Cable [SMM Analysis]
Read More
2026 National Day Holiday Copper Processing Enterprise Shutdown Survey - Wire and Cable [SMM Analysis]
2026 National Day Holiday Copper Processing Enterprise Shutdown Survey - Wire and Cable [SMM Analysis]
[SMM Analysis: 2026 National Day Holiday Survey on Copper Processing Enterprises' Shutdown Plans – Wire and Cable] The National Day holiday is just around the corner, and most wire and cable enterprises have completed their holiday shutdown and production plan arrangements for their workshops. SMM conducted a survey on the holiday arrangements of some copper wire and cable enterprises in the industry and compiled the results as follows...
12 hours ago