SHANGHAI, Jan 21 – The copper inventories in the domestic bonded zones added 7,700 mt from January 14 to 224,500 mt as of Friday January 21, the second consecutive week of growth, according to the most recent SMM survey.

The inventory in the Shanghai bonded zone was up 9,000 mt to 197,000 mt, while the inventory in the Guangdong bonded zone fell 1,300 mt to 27,500 mt. The trading in the copper import market has weakened as the CNY holidays approach. The severe import losses also weakened the import demand. Therefore, some traders stocked their cargoes into the bonded warehouses. Meanwhile, domestic smelters exported some copper cathode into the bonded zone, growing the inventory in the Shanghai bonded zone. The inventories in the Guangdong bonded zone decreased slightly due to lower shipments arrivals.