LME copper prices opened at $8518/mt and closed at $8531/mt in overnight trading, a drop of 0.65%, with the low-end of $8456/mt and the high-end of $8545/mt. Trading volume was 14,000 lots, and open interest stood at 288,000 lots. The most active SHFE 2401 copper contract prices opened at 68520 yuan/mt and closed at 68410 yuan/mt last evening, down 0.25%, with the high-end of 68580 yuan/mt and the low-end of 68360 yuan/mt. Trading volumes stood at 14,000 lots and open interest stood at 136,000 lots. On the macro front, Cleveland Fed President Mester said that the market's expectations for an interest rate cut are "slightly ahead" of the Fed. The key to the next stage is how long monetary policy needs to remain tight, which will have a certain impact on the market's expectations of interest rate cuts. On fundamentals, As of Monday December 18, SMM copper inventory across major Chinese markets increased 300 mt from last Friday to 63,300 mt, down 18,600 mt YoY. The inventory decline in East China was more obvious, mainly due to the heavy snow weather leading to a reduction in the arrival volume of some warehouses, and the downstream pickup volume also increased after the delivery of the SHFE front-month contract; the inventory increase in South China is mainly due to poor downstream consumption, and more shipments from smelters before delivery. In terms of consumption, if copper prices do not rise further, it is expected that the demand can improve. In addition, Chile's state mining company said it had reached an agreement with three unions to reduce the risk of strikes. Copper prices will have limited upward room.

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