China’s Copper Imports Drop as Overseas Lockdowns Tighten Supply

Copper plates move along a conveyor at the Jinguan Copper smelter, operated by Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co., in Tongling, Anhui province, China, on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. On the heels of record refined copper output last year, China's No. 2 producer, Tongling, says it'll defy economic gloom and strive to churn out even more of the metal in 2019. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

Bloomberg News, Bloomberg News

Jun 7, 2020

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(Bloomberg) -- China, the world’s largest copper consumer, imported less metal and concentrate last month as pandemic-driven lockdowns in overseas mining regions disrupted supplies.

  • Copper concentrate imports were 1.69 million tons in May, down from 2.03 million tons in April and 1.84 million tons a year ago, according to customs data on Sunday
  • Unwrought copper and products purchases were 436,031 tons, falling from 461,458 tons in April and compared with 361,000 tons a year ago

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