China's Wire and Cable Imports Up 2.56% MoM in April 2026, Copper Imports Surge 22.81%

[Copper Scrap Exports from Core Supplying Countries Pulled Back in April] Thailand and Japan, the top two supplying countries, both saw their exports to China decline MoM in April, with Thailand down 14.22% MoM and Japan down 17.60% MoM. Although their combined share still exceeded 30%, the MoM growth disappeared, weakening their support for overall imports.

[Import profit margins narrowed, purchase enthusiasm cooled] From late March to April, the center of copper prices continued to rebound, and ex-China secondary copper traders showed strong sentiment to hold prices firm, with the quotation coefficient of bare bright copper against LME remaining in a high range for an extended period, driving procurement costs continuously higher. However, downstream processing enterprises in China had limited acceptance of high-priced copper scrap and showed a strong willingness to push for lower prices. The profit margins on imported copper scrap narrowed compared to the previous period, which was one of the reasons for the MoM pullback in imports in April.

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's copper plate/sheet and strip exports in April 2026 totaled 12,246.37 mt, up 5.46% MoM and up 14.01% YoY. From January to April, China's cumulative copper plate/sheet and strip exports reached 45,487.58 mt, up 16.14% YoY cumulatively.