During the day, the SHFE 2604 copper contract extended its downward trend, with the trading range falling further to 95,500-96,000 yuan/mt. The center of copper prices continued to move lower, stimulating restocking demand from downstream enterprises. Suppliers accordingly held prices firm, with standard-quality copper such as JCC and Lufang quoted at parity, while other brands such as Tiefeng, OLYDA, and Zijin were successively traded at discounts of 40 yuan/mt to 20 yuan/mt. Overall transaction pace was smooth. According to SMM, order volumes at most downstream enterprises surged significantly from the previous period, and end-user cargo pick-up also improved. The pullback in copper prices increased their attractiveness to enterprises, and purchase willingness to buy the dip was strong.
Mar 19, 2026 09:37Futures for the bellwether industrial metal dropped 0.6% to settle at $12,775 a metric ton. LME stockpiles jumped by nearly 19,000 tons to 330,375 tons, the highest level since September 2019.
Mar 18, 2026 15:48[SMM Shanghai Spot Copper] During the day, the SHFE copper 2604 contract extended its decline, with the trading range falling further to 95,500-96,000 yuan/mt. The center of copper prices kept moving lower, significantly stimulating downstream enterprises' demand to buy the dip and restock, while spot market trading sentiment clearly recovered. Demand side, according to SMM, most downstream enterprises saw a surge in order volumes, with a substantial increase from the previous period, and end-user cargo pick-up enthusiasm also improved in tandem. The pullback in copper prices became more attractive to enterprises, and purchase willingness to buy the dip was strong. Suppliers held prices firm accordingly, driving a notable rebound in spot premiums in early trading. Supply side, social inventory destocked sharply by 24,200 mt from Monday, and the pace of destocking accelerated. The rebound in spot premiums raised suppliers' willingness to sell, leading to more warrants flowing into the market. As premiums reached the psychological expectations of some suppliers, selling of spot warrants began to emerge, easing the previously tight spot supply situation and causing spot premiums to decline later. Overall, current copper prices have become more attractive to downstream enterprises, and faster destocking supports the spot market, but suppliers' selling at high levels combined with changes in the price spread between futures contracts structure put pressure on premiums. Under the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers, Shanghai spot copper is expected to remain in a tug-of-war pattern tomorrow, with premiums likely to stay in the discount range.
Mar 19, 2026 13:01SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight, LME copper opened at $12,714.5/mt and climbed to $12,715/mt at the start of the session. Copper prices then saw the center move straight downward, before fluctuating rangebound and eventually closing at $12,340/mt, down 3.44%. Trading volume reached 33,600 lots, and open interest stood at 288,300 lots, down 4,872 lots from the previous trading day, mainly due to long position liquidation. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2605 contract opened at and touched a high of 98,000 yuan/mt, after which the center of copper prices moved straight downward to a low of 95,920 yuan/mt, then fluctuated upward and finally closed at 96,340 yuan/mt, down 2.58%. Trading volume reached 103,000 lots, and open interest stood at 198,000 lots, up 9,911 lots from the previous trading day, mainly due to increased short positions.
Mar 19, 2026 09:06SMM News, March 19: Today, in Guangdong, spot prices for #1 copper cathode against the front-month contract were quoted at premiums of 140 yuan/mt for high-quality copper, up 90 yuan/mt from yesterday; premiums of 20 yuan/mt for standard-quality copper, up 80 yuan/mt from yesterday; and discounts of 40 yuan/mt for SX-EW copper, up 80 yuan/mt from yesterday. The average price of Guangdong #1 copper cathode was 95,735 yuan/mt, down 3,400 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, while the average price of SX-EW copper was 95,615 yuan/mt, up 3,405 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot market: Guangdong inventory declined for three consecutive days, mainly due to reduced arrivals and increased shipments. Copper prices fell sharply, and downstream processing enterprises actively placed orders. Suppliers adjusted prices accordingly. In early trading, standard-quality copper was quoted at a discount of 20 yuan/mt, but due to very strong transactions, it was later adjusted to a premium of 20 yuan/mt. Today, procurement sentiment for copper cathode in Guangdong stood at 2.65, up 0.06 from the previous trading day, while shipments sentiment stood at 3.43, up 0.05 from the previous trading day (historical data is available in the database). Overall, as copper prices fell sharply, downstream buyers actively restocked, driving spot premiums significantly higher.
Mar 19, 2026 11:20SMM News, March 19: Data Brief: As of Thursday, March 19, copper inventories in SMM's major regions nationwide fell 8.85% WoW from last Thursday, while total inventories increased 176,700 mt YoY from the same period last year, with all regions posting destocking. By region, copper cathode inventories in Shanghai continued to decline, as arrivals of domestic material gradually decreased after the end of delivery, while warehouse withdrawals gradually exceeded warehouse inflows amid consumption support; in Jiangsu, inventories also continued to destock, as demand in northern China recovered, arrivals of domestic material decreased, and local consumption rebounded; in Guangdong, inventories also trended downward, supported by a marked recovery in downstream demand and slightly tighter supply. Looking ahead, on the supply side, imported material continued to arrive at ports, but arrivals of domestic material decreased due to the end of delivery; on the demand side, the sharp pullback in copper prices clearly stimulated downstream procurement. Based on the overall supply-demand pattern, supply is expected to remain tight next week while consumption steadily rebounds, and weekly copper cathode inventories are expected to continue destocking.
Mar 19, 2026 14:12Dear Customer, To keep pace with the rapid development of the recycled copper raw materials industry and meet the market's demand for in-depth analysis of the recycling industry and the supply-demand pattern of copper cathode, our company has conducted a comprehensive optimization of the data model. We are now systematically upgrading and adjusting the standards and content of China's monthly supply-demand balance data for recycled copper raw materials, with the following treatment applied to historical data: I. Adjustments This upgrade primarily optimizes and updates the following indicators in the balance table: "Supply of Old Scrap from Recycled Copper Raw Materials," "Supply of New Scrap from Recycled Copper Raw Materials," "Processing Volume of Recycled Copper Raw Materials," and "Smelting Volume of Recycled Copper Raw Materials." (Data modification path: Database > Copper > SMM Recycled Copper > Monthly Supply-Demand Balance Table for Copper Scrap) II. Historical Data Treatment Historical monthly supply-demand balance data for recycled copper raw materials will no longer be updated starting from September 2025. Subsequent data will be uniformly released under the new standard, with the revised data retroactively applied from January 2025. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the SMM Customer Service Team. Thank you for your continued support and trust! IV. Effective Date Effective from January 1, 2026 SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. SMM Copper Research Team Liang Kaihui 86-21-5159-5826 December 19, 2025
DataDec 20, 2025 00:25Dear Valued Client, To keep pace with the rapid development of the secondary copper industry and meet the market's need for in-depth analysis of the recycling industry and the supply-demand pattern of copper cathode, our company has conducted a deep optimization of our data models. We are now systematically upgrading and adjusting the standards and content of monthly supply-demand balance data related to China's copper scrap, with the following treatment applied to historical data: I. Adjustments Made The following data points have been newly launched: "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic Old Scrap: Annual", "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic New Scrap: Annual", "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic Copper Scrap: Annual", "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic Old Scrap - Forecast: Annual", "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic New Scrap - Forecast: Annual", and "Copper Scrap New and Old Scrap Production: Domestic Copper Scrap - Forecast: Annual"—a total of six new data points. (Access path for new data: Database - Copper - Copper Scrap - Production - Domestic Copper Scrap Production) II. Historical Data Processing The following four historical data series will cease to be updated starting from December 2025: "Domestic Copper Scrap Supply (Metal Content), ID: a10031747", "SMM Domestic Copper Scrap Supply: YoY, ID: a10031748", "Domestic Copper Scrap Supply (Metal Content) - Forecast, ID: a12731971", and "SMM Domestic Copper Scrap Supply YoY - Forecast, ID: a12731972". Going forward, the new standards will be uniformly applied for data releases, with the revised data traceable back to 2020. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the SMM customer service team at any time. Thank you for your continued support and trust! III. Effective Date February 1, 2026 SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. SMM Copper Research Team Liang Kaihui, 86-21-5159-5826 January 22, 2026
DataJan 22, 2026 15:31To better serve industrial clients and stay closer to the market, SMM is adding 6 new scrap copper price assessments for Japan/US regions, officially launching on 16/1/2026. 1. New Price Points Copper Scrap - East Asia - Japan Millberry CIF China - Japan Millberry CIF China Taiwan - Japan Millberry CIF Korea Copper Scrap - America - United States Millberry CIF Japan - United States No.1 Copper Material CIF Japan - United States No.2 Copper Material CIF Japan 2. SMM Price Methodology General Principles Shanghai Metals Market (hereinafter referred to as "SMM") is a completely independent third-party service provider that does not participate in any actual transactions. Instead, SMM maintains close communication with buyers and sellers as a market observer or organizer and provides related services to the market. This document sets forth the standards for SMM's East Asia and US scrap copper price assessments. The purpose of establishing these standards is to create a transparent and verifiable SMM price formation mechanism. 3. Formation of SMM East Asia and US Scrap Copper Price Assessments 3.1 Significance of the Assessments In recent years, Japan and the United States have continued to play important roles in the global scrap copper trading system. Their export prices for berry copper and copper scrap hold strong reference value for major Asian consumer markets. Due to differences in origin quality structure, trade flows, and regional demand, actual transaction prices vary across different destinations. To more accurately reflect the true price levels of Japanese and US scrap copper in cross-regional circulation, reduce information asymmetry risks, and help upstream and downstream enterprises more reasonably evaluate procurement costs and formulate trading strategies, SMM plans to add price points including Japan Berry Copper CIF China, Japan Berry Copper CIF South Korea, Japan Berry Copper CIF Taiwan China, US Berry Copper CIF Japan, US No.1 Copper CIF Japan, and US No.2 Copper CIF Japan. These will be collected according to a unified methodology and publicly released to the market for industry reference. SMM price members will be able to access relevant historical price data simultaneously. 3.2 SMM East Asia and US Scrap Copper Price Assessment Methodology 3.2.1 Product Specifications and Standards Currently, scrap copper reference standards follow ISRI standards. If changes occur, SMM will revise accordingly based on actual circumstances. 3.2.2 Price Terms Prices are CIF indicative prices, expressed as a coefficient (%) unit. 3.2.3 Payment Terms Prices reflect payment conditions including TT or other conventional payment methods. 3.2.4 Quote Format and Timing Quoted prices are in range format, showing minimum and maximum prices. For example: Japan Millberry CIF China: 97.5%-98%. New price points will be assessed weekly. SMM will publish prices on the website front page at 3:30 PM on the last day of each working week. 3.2.5 Data Collection Method According to the data collection confirmation agreement, SMM price analysts will regularly collect price information from scrap copper industry contacts in Japan through telephone, WeChat, email, and other methods. This price information includes completed transaction prices and the most likely anticipated transaction prices expected by the enterprise. All instant messaging content and any face-to-face communication records will be archived telephone communication details will be recorded and entered into the database. SMM analysts must comply with the Compliance System when reporting to their supervisors any coerced or threatened communications from market participants, or any inducements attempting to influence assessments. After price publication, SMM will not make corrections or adjustments on that day. 3.2.6 Data Standardization Although SMM has standardized definitions for our prices, market transactions exist in various forms. Each transaction price is influenced by numerous factors, including order size, material brand, delivery time, payment terms, etc. SMM will comprehensively consider market quotes, bids, and transaction information and align them with our standards. We welcome more relevant enterprises along the industry chain to participate in and support SMM in better serving scrap copper industry-related enterprises. For any questions, please contact us. Shanghai Metal Market Copper Department - Aw Yong Yi Cheong Contact: +6011-25798397 Email add: awyong.yicheong@smm.cn
PriceJan 12, 2026 15:35