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Dec 12, 2024

Global Copper Smelting Hits Unprecedented Levels in Recent Months

Global copper smelting activity soared to its highest since February last month, marking a significant shift in industry operations despite challenges in China. According to an Earth-i report, average smelter inactivity dropped by 2.7% from October, settling at 13.4% last month.

This uptick in global smelter activity was surprisingly driven by regions outside of China, which accounts for over 40% of the monitored capacity. Earth-i's data showed that China's inactivity only slightly decreased by 0.2% to 15.3%. Chinese custom smelters, dependent on diverse feed sources, faced dwindling profits due to lower treatment and refining charges for imported concentrate.

Recovery Driven by Regions Outside of China

Unlike the typical norm, it was areas outside China that led the recovery, with captive smelters cutting inactivity by an impressive 5.3% to 10.7%. Meanwhile, custom smelters in these regions saw a smaller decline of 0.7% to 15.5%. These captive smelters, dedicated to processing specific ores, found themselves benefiting from improved uptime and post-maintenance rebounds.

Supporting data from the IndexBox platform substantiates this recovery narrative, highlighting Europe's 8.3% drop in inactivity, largely due to Poland's Glogow smelter resuming full-scale production on its significant 540,000-tonne-per-year line.

Notable Increases in Copper Production Across the Globe

In North America, a notable 8.7% reduction in inactive capacity was observed, spearheaded by Grupo Mexico's La Caridad smelter operations in Sonora state. Africa also reported a decrease of 3.1% in inactivity, thanks to enhanced production at Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines' Nchanga smelter, managed by Vedanta Resources.

Asia and Oceania recorded the least smelter inactivity at 3.6%, attributed to consistent operations at Russia's Norilsk smelter and Kazakhstan's facilities by Kazakhmys. The renewed activity aligns with Norilsk Nickel's forecasts, predicting a balanced copper market next year, with demand projected to outstrip supply by 2025 due to initiatives in renewable energy and electric transport.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global refined copper market. Within it, you will discover the latest data on market trends and opportunities by country, consumption, production and price developments, as well as the global trade (imports and exports). The forecast exhibits the market prospects through 2030.

Product coverage:

  • Prodcom 24441330 - Unwrought unalloyed refined copper (excluding rolled, e xtruded or forged sintered products)

Country coverage:

Worldwide - the report contains statistical data for 200 countries and includes detailed profiles of the 50 largest consuming countries:

  • USA
  • China
  • Japan
  • Germany
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Brazil
  • Italy
  • Russian Federation
  • India
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Republic of Korea
  • Spain
  • Mexico
  • Indonesia
  • Netherlands
  • Turkey
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Nigeria
  • Poland
  • Belgium
  • Argentina
  • Norway
  • Austria
  • Thailand
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Colombia
  • Denmark
  • South Africa
  • Malaysia
  • Israel
  • Singapore
  • Egypt
  • Philippines
  • Finland
  • Chile
  • Ireland
  • Pakistan
  • Greece
  • Portugal
  • Kazakhstan
  • Algeria
  • Czech Republic
  • Qatar
  • Peru
  • Romania
  • Vietnam

+ the largest producing countries

Data coverage:

  • Global market volume and value
  • Per Capita consumption
  • Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term
  • Global production, split by region and country
  • Global trade (exports and imports)
  • Export and import prices
  • Market trends, drivers and restraints
  • Key market players and their profiles

Reasons to buy this report:

  • Take advantage of the latest data
  • Find deeper insights into current market developments
  • Discover vital success factors affecting the market

This report is designed for manufacturers, distributors, importers, and wholesalers, as well as for investors, consultants and advisors.

In this report, you can find information that helps you to make informed decisions on the following issues:

  1. How to diversify your business and benefit from new market opportunities
  2. How to load your idle production capacity
  3. How to boost your sales on overseas markets
  4. How to increase your profit margins
  5. How to make your supply chain more sustainable
  6. How to reduce your production and supply chain costs
  7. How to outsource production to other countries
  8. How to prepare your business for global expansion

While doing this research, we combine the accumulated expertise of our analysts and the capabilities of artificial intelligence. The AI-based platform, developed by our data scientists, constitutes the key working tool for business analysts, empowering them to discover deep insights and ideas from the marketing data.

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

    1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
    2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
    3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    A Quick Overview of Market Performance

    1. KEY FINDINGS
    2. MARKET TRENDSThis Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

  3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

    Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

    1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    2. MARKET STRUCTURE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    3. TRADE BALANCE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    4. PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    5. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

  4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

    Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

    1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
    2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
    3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
    4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORTS

  5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

    Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

    1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
    3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
    4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

  6. 6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

    Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

    1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
    3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
    4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

  7. 7. PRODUCTION

    The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

    1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)

  8. 8. IMPORTS

    The Largest Import Supplying Countries

    1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024)
    3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024)

  9. 9. EXPORTS

    The Largest Destinations for Exports

    1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
    2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024)
    3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024)

  10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

  11. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2024
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    4. Per Capita Consumption: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    5. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    6. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    7. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2024
    8. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    9. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    10. Export Prices, By Country, 2012–2024

  12. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    3. Market Structure – Domestic Supply vs. Imports, in Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    4. Market Structure – Domestic Supply vs. Imports, in Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    5. Trade Balance, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    6. Trade Balance, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    7. Per Capita Consumption: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    8. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
    9. Market Value Forecast to 2035
    10. Market Size and Growth, By Product
    11. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
    12. Exports and Growth, By Product
    13. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
    14. Production Volume and Growth
    15. Exports and Growth
    16. Export Prices and Growth
    17. Market Size and Growth
    18. Per Capita Consumption
    19. Imports and Growth
    20. Import Prices
    21. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    22. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    24. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    25. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
    26. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    27. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    28. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2024
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    30. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
    31. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
    32. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    33. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    34. Export Prices, By Country, 2012–2024

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