[SMM Analysis] China November Copper Foil Customs Data: Trade Deficit Shrinks, High-end Localization Advances, CCL In Painful Transition

SMM December 24 News：

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's copper foil imports (HS codes: 74101100, 74102190) in November 2025 reached 6,653.52 mt, up 11.77% YoY and up 9.23% MoM. From January to November 2025, China's cumulative copper foil imports totaled 72,742.04 mt, up 3.36% YoY.

In November 2025, China's copper foil import value was $126.3129 million, up 21.77% YoY and up 7.64% MoM. From January to November 2025, the cumulative import value of copper foil was $1,308.999 million, up 8.64% YoY.

China's copper foil exports in November 2025 were 5,994.15 mt, up 14.11% YoY and up 11.47% MoM. From January to November 2025, cumulative copper foil exports reached 49,222.34 mt, up 17.75% YoY.

In November 2025, China's copper foil export value was $80.772 million, up 22.47% YoY and up 15.80% MoM. From January to November 2025, the cumulative export value was $639.7388 million, up 25.09% YoY.

In November 2025, China's copper foil trade deficit was approximately $45.54 million, down about $2.05 million MoM from $47.59 million in October.

By trade mode, China's copper foil imports in November 2025 via Ordinary Trade were 4,709.60 mt; Processing Trade with Supplied Materials, 216 mt; Processing with Imported Materials, 916.17 mt; and other trade modes, 811.74 mt.

China's copper foil exports in November 2025 via Ordinary Trade were 1,249.88 mt; Processing Trade with Supplied Materials, 1,417.69 mt; Processing with Imported Materials, 2,952.74 mt; and other trade modes, 373.84 mt.

By country/region, the main sources for China's copper foil imports in November 2025 were Taiwan, China (4,265.25 mt), Malaysia (803.74 mt), and Japan (422.31 mt).

The main destinations for China's copper foil exports in November 2025 were Thailand (1,520.97 mt), Egypt (932.94 mt), and South Korea (839.17 mt). China's imports of copper clad laminates (HS code: 74102110) reached 3,740.28 mt in November 2025, down 8.78% YoY but up 37.61% MoM. Cumulative imports from January to November 2025 totaled 36,792.82 mt, a decrease of 0.16% YoY.

Exports of copper clad laminates from China amounted to 7,946.85 mt in November 2025, down 28.03% YoY but up 4.49% MoM. Cumulative exports from January to November 2025 reached 82,999.15 mt, down 7.95% YoY.

During the year, copper foil achieved growth in both imports and exports YoY, with exports showing significant expansion, narrowing the trade deficit. Meanwhile, the optimized import structure reflected a trend of gradual substitution of imported high-end copper foil by domestic capacity. In contrast, the CCL industry is undergoing a painful transition, as weak demand from traditional consumer electronics led to a decline in exports, while rapidly emerging high-end demand from areas such as AI is set to shape future industry transformation.