USGS Rejects Copper as Critical Mineral despite Huge Shortage and Biggest Producers Push, Citing Misleading Arguments

[SMM Copper Billet News Flash] According to SMM, traditional end-use consumption sectors for brass remain sluggish. In the home appliance, plumbing hardware, valve, and sanitary ware sectors, off-season procurement has yet to improve, and the growth in new orders remains insufficient. In contrast, copper billet exhibits a notable divergent performance, with orders from sectors such as new energy vehicles (NEVs), AI equipment, and electronics and electricals showing strong resilience, resulting in a clear differentiation in orders.

[SMM Brass Billet Flash] In the week of June 26–July 2, the SMM weekly operating rate among sampled brass billet producers recorded 50.80%, up 0.07 percentage points WoW, with the increase falling short of expectations. The previous phased pullback in copper prices triggered the release of some rigid demand replenishment orders, prompting factories to slightly raise production schedules, which drove a slight increase in this week’s operating rate.