PBOC: RMB loans increased by 1.36 trillion yuan in August, an increase of 86.8 billion yuan YoY

US refined copper and copper alloy imports reached 225,094 mt in July, a record high, as traders continued to ship large volumes of copper ahead of potential US tariff hikes, according to official data released by the US Commerce Department on Thursday.The July imports reported by the Commerce Department were the highest monthly total since records began in 1990, up 78% MoM and 8% YoY, according to trade data monitoring agencies.The import surge comes as the market awaits clarity on proposed US import tariffs. The Commerce Department was originally due to submit an updated report on the copper market to President Donald Trump by June 30, but no announcement has been made since.

La minera sudafricana Sibanye-Stillwater anunció que su consejo de administración aprobó avanzar en su proyecto de cobre y oro Mt Lyell en Tasmania, Australia, y en su proyecto de oro Burnstone en Sudáfrica, ya que la subida de los precios de los metales ha mejorado su posición financiera. La minera con sede en Johannesburgo planea invertir 7,5 millones de dólares en el proyecto Mt Lyell en 2026 para reiniciar la histórica mina cerca de Queenstown, con un proyecto de 340 millones de dólares que prevé la primera producción de mineral en 2029. Una vez a plena producción, se espera que la mina produzca anualmente hasta 26.000 toneladas de cobre, 16.000 onzas de oro y 116.000 onzas de plata.

A copper-zinc mine in northeastern Saskatchewan is about to achieve commercial production, and the Canadian federal government has designated it as a project of national significance.At a project update held in Saskatoon on Wednesday, Canadian miner Eldorado Gold said its Mcllvenna Bay underground mine produced copper concentrates in June and zinc concentrates in July, and plans to commence commercial production by the end of Q3 this year.