Enamelled Wire Operating Rate Declined in May

[SMM Copper Flash] The copper cathode rod operating rate is expected to pull back due to weak downstream demand and high finished product inventories. Most producers plan to cut production to destock, with the operating rate estimated to decline 4.56 percentage points MoM.

【SMM Copper Flash】 This week, raw material inventories of copper cathode rod plants edged up 0.72% WoW. Amid high copper prices, these plants mostly purchased on demand and restocked cautiously. With operation recovery and a slowdown in cargo pick-up by end-users, finished product inventories saw a notable buildup, increasing by 6.37 percentage points WoW.

[SMM Copper Express] The operating rate of domestic copper cathode rod producers rose 4.82 percentage points WoW this week but pulled back 9 percentage points YoY. The increase in the operating rate was mainly driven by the concentrated scheduling of existing orders, while new orders were weak. High copper prices suppressed downstream wire and cable procurement. Enamelled wire orders were moderate, but high inventory weighed on subsequent production.