Spot Copper Refining Charges Seen in Single Digits

 June 9 (Reuters) - Global spot copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) have fallen to single digit figures from around $10 a tonne and 10 cents a pound in April, copper industry executives said on Wednesday.

There was market talk of recent spot trades in Asia as low as $5 a tonne and 5 cents a pound, executives told Reuters on the sidelines of the Copper 2010 conference.

This would be way down from $15 to $20 and 1.5 to 20 cents achieved by smelters in February and under the $46.50 and 4.6 cents for long term 2010 contracts.

TC/RCs are the fees paid to smelters by mines and traders to refine copper concentrate into metal and are a key part of the global copper smelting industry's income.