Jiangxi Copper Corporation announced that, to further optimize its industrial layout, broaden financing channels, enhance the core competitiveness of its controlled subsidiary JCC Copper Foil, and continuously strengthen the copper foil business, the company is expected to spin off JCC Copper Foil for listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This spin-off will not result in the company losing control over JCC Copper Foil, which will remain a controlled subsidiary within the company's consolidated financial statements, and will not have a material impact on the business operations and development of the company's other segments.

At 10 a.m. on March 28, the side-blown furnace of Jiangxi Jiangtong Tongxin Environmental Protection Resource Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Protection Equipment Manufacturing Phase II Project was successfully ignited, marking the full commissioning of Jiangxi Copper Group’s first full-chain project for solid waste resource utilization and environmental protection equipment manufacturing.

On March 23, the 150,000-ton annual electrolytic copper project undertaken by the Second Company of China No.15 Metallurgical Construction Group Co., Ltd. for Jiangxi Copper Hongyuan Copper Industry Co., Ltd. successfully produced a cumulative total of 1,300 tons of high-purity cathode copper, with product purity reaching 99.997%, exceeding the design value of 99.9935%.

All production processes at the third-phase concentrator of Wushan Copper Mine, a subsidiary of Jiangxi Copper Corporation, have been largely streamlined, achieving key progress in system construction and trial production. As of the end of January this year, core production processes at the concentrator, including grinding, flotation, and copper concentrate filtration, have been fully connected, with copper concentrate successfully delivered to the warehouse.

[Molybdenum Concentrate Tender Information] SMM September 23: A Jiangxi copper-molybdenum mine tendered the sale of 40%-45% grade molybdenum concentrates (average copper 3.277%, average phosphorus 0.0875%). The transaction price was 4,415 yuan/mtu, with a reserve price of 4,400 yuan/mtu, 35% cash and 65% acceptance. The tender quantity was 256 mt.

In July 2025, JCC Group's first wholly-owned overseas factory, the Jiangxi Copper (Zambia) Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. wire and cable project, officially commenced full-scale production at the Jiangxi Industrial Park in Zambia. The first phase of the project involved an investment of $11 million, focusing on the production of high-quality low-voltage wire and cable and oxygen-free copper rod, with a core production capacity of 40,000 kilometers of wire and cable and 10,000 mt of oxygen-free copper rod annually. Among them, the specifications of wire and cable products range from 0.3mm² to 630mm², including power cables, power supply cords, building wires, PV wires, industrial control cables, etc.; the specifications of copper semis products cover 0.15mm to 8.0mm, including bare copper wires, bare copper strands, copper rods, etc.

On June 13, at the 2025 SMM (13th) Minor Metal Industry Conference - Rare and Scattered Metals Forum (Indium, Germanium, Gallium, Bismuth, Selenium, Tellurium), hosted by Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd. and SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., Long Wensheng, General Manager of Changsha Aochang Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd., elaborated on "The Current Application Status and Future Prospects of Minor Metal Selenium.

According to JCC Construction News: Recently, the 50,000 mt secondary copper smelting project in Shandong Jinxin, undertaken by Jiangxi Copper Corporation (Guixi) Metallurgical Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., achieved a significant milestone—the nation's first horizontal-swing refining furnace for copper anode production successfully yielded its first batch of anode plates. This innovative achievement, characterized by its "high efficiency, intelligence, and environmental protection" process features, has set a new benchmark for the industry. As a complete process output equipment for device manufacturing and production services, the project accomplished a full-process system upgrade: from the dismantling of the old reverberatory furnace and civil construction to furnace body manufacturing and installation, customized refractory material laying; from secondary combustion chamber integration to intelligent control system debugging, and finally to the revamping and upgrading of the wheel casting machine, along with the full integration of pyrometallurgical equipment and processes. The metallurgical chemical engineering team overcame multiple technical challenges to successfully develop this groundbreaking new refining furnace with industry-leading significance. It is reported that the horizontal-swing furnace is a refining furnace featuring a hydraulic tilting structure, particularly suitable for blister copper refining, effectively removing impurities to produce high-quality copper anode plates. Its most distinctive feature lies in the adjustable head-tail swing system, breaking through the traditional fixed-angle mode to achieve flexible adjustment of slag outlet and discharge port positions, significantly enhancing operational adaptability. Compared to conventional fixed anode furnaces, the horizontal-swing furnace demonstrates notable advantages in energy consumption, operation, and environmental protection. High Efficiency and Energy Saving, Outstanding Capacity The horizontal-swing furnace adopts a multi-zone, multi-point heating design with high thermal efficiency, fast charging and melting speed, and significantly improved slagging efficiency. By precisely controlling the position and depth of the tuyeres, stirring effectiveness is enhanced, operational dead zones are reduced, and the contact between flux and metal becomes more thorough, greatly improving smelting efficiency. The casting process, regulated by furnace body swinging, ensures smooth slag discharge and precise control, resulting in high casting qualification rates, low rejection rates, and stable, reliable product quality. Meanwhile, the coordinated heating of primary and auxiliary fuels ensures full combustion and uniform heat distribution. The single-furnace operation time is short, furnace door opening/closing frequency is low, heat loss is minimal, and energy consumption is significantly lower than similar equipment. The furnace lining refractory material experiences less wear, extending furnace lifespan and delivering considerable economic benefits to enterprises. Intelligent Control, User-Friendly Operation The horizontal-swing furnace provides a solid foundation for mechanization and automation. Through its intelligent control system, it achieves automated and even intelligent management of operational processes. The swinging design simplifies critical operations such as slag tapping and oxidation-reduction, making them safer and significantly reducing labour intensity, operational risks, and improving manual work efficiency. The side-inclined tuyere design also effectively reduces tuyere wear. Green and Environmentally Friendly, Safe and Reliable The horizontal-swing furnace exhibits strong sealing during operation, with minimal furnace gas and dust leakage, low-level pollution in the working area, and overall environmental friendliness. The flue system is equipped with replaceable ash and slag hoppers to prevent blockages, ensure smooth flue gas emission, and improve the working environment. In addition, the frequency of furnace door openings is reduced, further minimizing heat loss and pollutant emissions, thus comprehensively meeting the development needs of green metallurgy. In summary, the swing furnace integrates high efficiency, energy conservation, environmental protection, and intelligence, representing the direction of technological innovation in copper smelting equipment. Its unique design philosophy, combined with years of practical experience, demonstrates significant advantages in energy conservation, emission reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement, providing strong support for the upgrading of furnace types in the metallurgical industry. In the future, the swing furnace is expected to be promoted and applied in a wider range of fields, helping China's metallurgical industry move towards a new era of high-quality development.

Recently, the 50,000 mt secondary copper smelting project in Shandong Jinxin, undertaken by Jiangxi Copper Corporation (Guixi) Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., achieved a significant milestone—the nation's first horizontal swing refining furnace for copper anode production successfully yielded its first batch of anode plates. This innovative achievement, characterized by its "efficient, intelligent, and environmentally protective" process, has set a new benchmark for the industry. As a comprehensive process output equipment for device manufacturing and production services, the project accomplished a full-process system upgrade: from dismantling the old reverberatory furnace and civil construction to furnace body fabrication, installation, and customized refractory material laying; from secondary combustion chamber integration and intelligent control system debugging to the final upgrade of the disc casting machine and seamless integration of the full set of pyrometallurgical equipment and processes. The metallurgical and chemical engineering team overcame numerous challenges to successfully develop this groundbreaking refining furnace with industry-leading significance.

》Check SMM metal quotes, data, and market analysis 》Subscribe to view historical price trends of SMM metal spot cargo On May 14, 2025: As of April 30, 2025, all companies have disclosed their 2024 annual reports. According to SMM statistics, a total of 19 publicly listed firms operate copper smelters. These 19 publicly listed firms are: Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group (000630), Jiangxi Copper Corporation (600362), Jinchuan Group International Resources Co., Ltd. (02362.hk), Daye Nonferrous Metals Group (00661.hk), Yunnan Copper (000878), Zijin Mining (601899), Yuguang Gold and Lead Group (600531), Western Mining Co., Ltd. (601168), Yunnan Tin Co., Ltd. (000960), Shandong Humon Smelting (002237), Zhongjin Gold (600489), Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd. (601212), Ningbo Jintian Copper (601609), Huludao Zinc Industry Co., Ltd. (000751), North Copper (000737), Zhejiang Chifoo Holding Group Co., Ltd. (002266), Guangdong Feinan Resources Co., Ltd. (301500), Beijing GEEN Environment Engineering Co., Ltd. (603588), and Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Co., Ltd. (000060). 2024 Production and 2025 Production Plans for Copper Cathode at Each Smelter According to annual report disclosures and SMM's understanding, the total copper cathode production of the aforementioned 19 copper smelters in 2024 was 10.5558 million mt, with an increase of 642,000 mt, up 6.5% YoY. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the national production in 2024 was 13.644 million mt, with these 19 enterprises accounting for 77.37% of China's total copper cathode production. This figure increased by 1.04% compared to the same period last year. We expect that with the release of new capacity, industry concentration will increase again in the future. Regarding the specific situations of each smelter: Only 4 out of the 19 smelters experienced production cuts. Among them, Yunnan Copper had the largest decline, with a significant drop in production due to the relocation of its headquarters smelter. The largest increase was seen at Jiangxi Copper, with an annual copper cathode production of 2.2919 million mt, up 194,600 mt or 9.3% YoY in 2024, continuing to lead the copper industry. This was followed by North Copper, with a production increase of 178,800 mt compared to 2023, reaching 31.32 mt. Then came Jinchuan Group, with a production of 1.3272 million mt, an increase of 158,100 mt compared to 2023. In addition, based on their 2025 production plans, the total production in 2025 is expected to be 11.4028 million mt, an increase of 847,000 mt or 8%. According to SMM statistics, the new production from domestic smelters from January to May 2025 has already reached 536,400 mt, and it is highly probable that the annual increase of 847,000 mt will be achieved. In 2025, two smelters are expected to increase their production by more than 200,000 mt. Among them, the largest increase is expected to be from Yunnan Copper, with an increase of 254,000 mt, mainly due to the resumption of production after the relocation of the smelter and the commissioning of new smelters. Next is Jinchuan Group, which is expected to increase its production by 252,800 mt, thanks to the commissioning of a new smelter. In addition, due to the tight supply of copper concentrates, six smelters are expected to implement production cuts in 2025, two more than last year. Overall, although copper concentrate TCs hit a record low this year, it has not hindered the expansion pace of copper smelters.