China's Copper Inventory Down 2,500 mt, Shanghai Sees Buildup Due to Typhoon, Guangdong Declines

Published: Aug 13, 2026 15:44
[SMM Copper Social Inventory Flash] As of August 13, SMM copper cathode social inventory across mainstream regions in China fell by 2,500 mt from last Thursday to 116,700 mt, down 8,900 mt YoY, with regional performance diverging. In Shanghai, typhoon-related disruptions hindered warehouse withdrawals and led to inventory buildup. Jiangsu inventories remained broadly stable. In Guangdong, reduced arrivals combined with stronger downstream warehouse withdrawals pushed inventories lower. In the near term, imported copper cathode continues to arrive at ports, marginally easing domestic supply pressure. However, the off-season and elevated copper prices are weighing on end-user procurement, leaving market trading sluggish. National copper cathode social inventory is expected to edge up slightly next week.

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.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Nan Ya Raises Copper Clad Laminates Prices by 20% Amid Rising Raw Material Costs and AI Demand
52 mins ago
Nan Ya Raises Copper Clad Laminates Prices by 20% Amid Rising Raw Material Costs and AI Demand
Read More
Nan Ya Raises Copper Clad Laminates Prices by 20% Amid Rising Raw Material Costs and AI Demand
Nan Ya Raises Copper Clad Laminates Prices by 20% Amid Rising Raw Material Costs and AI Demand
On August 14, Nan Ya issued another price increase notice. Driven by rising raw material costs for copper foil, fiberglass cloth, and resin, as well as tight supply and demand in electronic materials fueled by AI computing demand, prices of copper clad laminates and base materials will be raised by 20% effective September 1. Nan Ya stated that the electronic materials industry is currently in a golden cycle, with capital expansion by US cloud vendors and AI server demand driving demand for mid-to-high-end materials, while limited new capacity has created a supply-demand gap. The news pushed Nan Ya's stock to the daily limit intraday.
52 mins ago
High Copper Prices Lead to Reduced Cable and Wire Inventories, Operating Rates Expected to Fall Further
52 mins ago
High Copper Prices Lead to Reduced Cable and Wire Inventories, Operating Rates Expected to Fall Further
Read More
High Copper Prices Lead to Reduced Cable and Wire Inventories, Operating Rates Expected to Fall Further
High Copper Prices Lead to Reduced Cable and Wire Inventories, Operating Rates Expected to Fall Further
In terms of cable and wire inventories this week, constrained by high copper prices, cable and wire enterprises generally adopted a rigid-demand purchasing strategy, locking in prices for small restocking only during minor copper price pullbacks. As a result, raw material inventories edged down 0.49% month-on-month. To ease inventory pressure, downstream enterprises prioritized drawing down finished goods inventories, which fell 2.33% month-on-month. Looking ahead to next week, the weak demand pattern across all segments is unlikely to reverse, and the industry lacks short-term recovery momentum. Under the dual pressure of high copper prices and off-season demand, SMM expects the copper cable and wire operating rate to fall a further 1.18 percentage points month-on-month to 61.08% next week (August 14–August 20), representing a year-on-year decline of 7.8 percentage points.
52 mins ago
Copper Cable and Wire Operating Rate Falls to 62.25% Amid High Prices and Weak Demand
52 mins ago
Copper Cable and Wire Operating Rate Falls to 62.25% Amid High Prices and Weak Demand
Read More
Copper Cable and Wire Operating Rate Falls to 62.25% Amid High Prices and Weak Demand
Copper Cable and Wire Operating Rate Falls to 62.25% Amid High Prices and Weak Demand
This week (August 7–August 13), SMM's copper cable and wire enterprise operating rate came in at 62.25%, down 1.4 percentage points month-on-month and 7.05 percentage points year-on-year. Copper prices remained elevated throughout the week, continuing to suppress downstream purchasing enthusiasm. Combined with overall weak terminal orders and no substantive improvement on the demand side, the industry's production load continued to decline.
52 mins ago