Exclusive: China copper cathode output rose 4.71% MoM to 860,500 mt in March

Published: Apr 9, 2021 10:28

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An SMM survey showed that China produced 860,500 mt of copper cathode in March, rising 4.71% from February and 15.71% from a year ago, as some copper smelters recovered from maintenance and due to more operating days in the month.

SHANGHAI, Apr 9 (SMM)—An SMM survey showed that China produced 860,500 mt of copper cathode in March, rising 4.71% from February and 15.71% from a year ago, as some copper smelters recovered from maintenance and due to more operating days in the month.

Rising refining charges (RCs) for blister copper and fast-increasing sulphuric acid prices in east and south China prompted copper smelters to maintain high operating rates. In addition, as copper prices have steadied and consumption has improved amid a high season, finished product inventory pressure eased across smelters.

According to smelters’ production schedules, SMM expects China’s copper cathode output to shrink 1.63% on the month, but to rise 12.51% on the year to 846,500 mt in April. For the first four months of 2021, output is likely to total 3.33 million mt, up 14.54% from the same period last year.

Copper cathode Output data

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.

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