
Chinese Copper Smelters Propose Joint Output Cut Amid Tightening Supplies
By
Liu Fengqi
1 min read
⚠️ Heads up: this article is from our "experimental era" — a beautiful mess of enthusiasm ✨, caffeine ☕, and user-submitted chaos 🤹. We kept it because it’s part of our journey 🛤️ (and hey, everyone has awkward teenage years 😅).
Chinese smelters, responsible for more than half of the world’s refined copper supply, are considering a joint output cut amidst dwindling ore supplies, which have caused processing fees to plummet. Thirteen major smelters have suggested a potential 5-10% reduction in planned output for this year, aiming to counter the impact of tightening supplies. This proposal was introduced at the recent gathering of the Copper Smelters Purchasing Team in Shanghai, with the discussions being kept private. Such a move could significantly alter the market dynamics for refined copper, potentially affecting global supply and pricing.