Chinese imports of unwrought copper increased by 7.2pc through January and February 2020 compared to the same two-month period a year ago.
Unwrought copper imports—which includes anode, refined and semi-finished copper products—into China through the first two months of 2020 totaled 846,107mt, increasing from 789,358mt a year earlier. In December 2019, China imported 527,000mt of unwrought copper—the highest single month total since March 2016.
Concrete copper imports to China, however, deceased by 1.2pc to 3.77mn mt in January and February because Covid-19 disrupted production, causing smelters to cut their raw material needs.
China’s unwrought aluminum exports declined precipitously by 25.3pc in January and February 2020 to 669,208mt compared to the first two months of the previous year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs in China.