Mitsui Kinzoku Plans New Malaysia Copper Foil Plant as AI Demand Drives Further Expansion

Southern Copper is evaluating a $680 million expansion of its Cuajone operation in Peru. The proposal would increase milling capacity by 33%, from 90,000 to 120,000 tonnes per day. Current estimates envisage average annual production of 55,000 tonnes of copper and 1,400 tonnes of molybdenum. The company is also studying whether capacity could eventually reach 150,000 tonnes per day. The project remains under evaluation, with no final investment decision or production schedule disclosed; its projected molybdenum output therefore cannot yet be treated as committed new supply.

MMG expects Las Bambas to produce approximately 400,000 tonnes of copper in 2026, near the upper end of its 380,000–400,000-tonne guidance. Kinsevere is also expected to reach the upper end of its 65,000–75,000-tonne copper range. However, Khoemacau’s guidance was cut to 43,000–48,000 tonnes from 48,000–53,000 tonnes following development delays and equipment availability constraints. Las Bambas produced 2,745 tonnes of contained molybdenum in the first nine months, up 33% year on year, with a molybdenum flotation column scheduled for Q4. MMG did not provide numerical full-year molybdenum guidance.

Southern Copper, a subsidiary of Grupo México, reported mined molybdenum production of 7,702 tonnes in the third quarter of 2026, down 2.2% year on year. Molybdenum output fell 12.5% at La Caridad and 8.3% at Buenavista in Mexico, outweighing increases of 8.9% at Toquepala and 6.1% at Cuajone in Peru. The company’s molybdenum production for the first nine months declined 5.2% year on year to 22,264 tonnes.