Data released by the General Administration of Customs’ online query platform showed that China’s imports of copper cathode in May 2026 were 316,094.23 mt, up 0.09% MoM and up 7.99% YoY. In May, China imported 128,615.64 mt of copper cathode from the DRC, down 12.76% MoM and up 42.43% YoY. In May, China imported 29,851.08 mt from Russia, up 22.80% MoM and down 20.88% YoY. On the export side, China’s exports of copper cathode in May 2026 were 19,857.06 mt, down 22.45% MoM and down 41.14% YoY. In May, China exported 7,663.11 mt of copper cathode to Thailand, down 10.32% MoM and up 9.65% YoY. In May, China exported 4,600.10 mt to Vietnam, up 13.11% MoM and down 41.58% YoY. Below is a breakdown of import data by origin based on China Customs statistics: Origin May 2026 (mt) MoM YoY DRC 128,615.64 -12.76% 42.43% Russia 29,851.08 22.80% -20.88% Zambia 20,244.03 84.03% 126.32% Japan 15,969.24 -2.79% -0.05% South Korea 15,370.53 178.87% 116.61% China 14,928.75 5.50% -48.96% Chile 14,028.31 -6.06% -39.16% Kazakhstan 12,726.46 -34.96% -21.19% Uzbekistan 8,967.50 98.20% 137.48% Australia 8,321.78 6.14% 44.62% Indonesia 5,021.60 -22.57% -0.95% Serbia 4,990.42 252.61% -40.42% Poland 4,680.62 39.05% 29.53% Pakistan 4,402.80 -42.32% 15.73% Myanmar 4,379.73 -21.38% 130.09% India 4,008.66 -39.87% 370.26% Peru 3,881.38 -42.17% -10.35% South Africa 2,285.43 -5.57% 6.68% Netherlands 1,981.23 299.77% -73.37% Tanzania 1,482.72 98.52% 257.03% Turkey 1,360.46 66.96% -11.60% Belgium 1,056.91 117.86% - Laos 957.40 23.77% 74.70% Malaysia 744.93 -23.19% -38.74% Morocco 701.01 48.93% 176.47% Thailand 682.26 0.86% -37.37% UAE 674.85 35.03% -87.68% Spain 502.10 - - Mongolia 394.03 -23.37% -72.77% Oman 328.22 8.95% 218.26% Qatar 315.13 -25.49% -75.29% Tajikistan 308.94 -62.58% 10.48% Mexico 204.16 - -87.48% Jordan 200.85 169.09% 290.61% Bolivia 200.09 - 373.33% Gabon 192.18 155.67% 160.26% Guinea 180.01 76.46% 1.64% Taiwan, China 178.58 -31.28% -30.34% Egypt 137.44 -74.79% -50.63% Saudi Arabia 118.12 626.46% -32.27% Mauritius 97.27 90.65% 259.46% Canada 87.93 152.35% 129.61% Angola 75.49 -80.03% - France 50.64 - - Sierra Leone 50.62 -33.69% - Georgia 43.59 82.22% 81.61% Lebanon 39.79 - - Brazil 23.03 - -14.72% Rwanda 22.08 -11.68% - Germany 15.01 - -36.77% Tunisia 13.02 - - US 0.20 -1.51% - Total 316,094.23 0.09% 7.99% Source: China Customs Below is a breakdown of export data by destination based on China Customs statistics: Destination May 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Thailand 7,663.11 -10.32% 9.65% Vietnam 4,600.10 13.11% -41.58% Taiwan, China 4,397.79 -32.29% 21.12% Indonesia 1,702.60 -14.81% 325.62% Brazil 693.46 - - Malaysia 499.18 -83.89% -44.48% Japan 300.32 - - South Korea 0.50 -99.91% - Total 19,857.06 -22.45% -41.14% Source: China Customs (Wenhua Composite)
Jun 20, 2026 21:19Data from the online query platform of customs statistics showed that China's imports of copper ores and concentrates in May 2026 were 2,360,706.88 mt, up 0.39% MoM and down 1.74% YoY. In May, China imported 711,404.02 mt of copper ores and concentrates from Chile, up 1.10% MoM and down 2.90% YoY. In May, China imported 691,924.04 mt of copper ores and concentrates from Peru, up 19.15% MoM and up 11.98% YoY. On the export side, China's exports of copper ores and concentrates in May 2026 were 2,711.03 mt, up 19.71% MoM and up 514.63% YoY. In May, China exported 2,297.60 mt of copper ores and concentrates to Malaysia, up 1.50% MoM. In May, China exported 412.23 mt of copper ores and concentrates to Mongolia, up 176,064.53% MoM and down 0.43% YoY. The following is a breakdown of imports based on data from the website of the General Administration of Customs of China: Origin May 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Chile 711,404.02 1.10% -2.90% Peru 691,924.04 19.15% 11.98% Mongolia 186,875.99 -7.29% 4.26% Russia 125,158.75 5.58% 126.45% Kazakhstan 107,825.54 36.13% 23.95% Serbia 69,862.17 38.32% 63.32% Ecuador 66,026.07 97.53% 14.72% Mexico 54,655.35 -42.07% -50.19% Saudi Arabia 47,728.89 311.30% 711.73% Spain 38,136.31 -52.73% 293.96% DRC 28,509.28 -49.18% -63.38% Australia 28,422.81 -42.38% -55.52% Botswana 27,327.14 -23.38% -17.56% Laos 26,013.43 108.82% 131.43% Philippines 25,631.95 134.06% -5.58% Brazil 22,712.93 -46.74% -36.68% Canada 18,835.75 -52.72% -60.50% Armenia 16,817.88 -57.68% 26.56% Eritrea 9,980.67 -8.03% -52.89% Taiwan, China 9,002.08 - -17.47% Zambia 6,209.27 -52.53% 47.73% Albania 5,372.45 -20.27% -10.54% Pakistan 4,720.49 -17.25% 78.70% Namibia 4,117.14 59.60% 858.62% Mauritania 3,790.08 -33.33% -56.20% Morocco 3,687.66 99.79% 21.96% Colombia 3,642.41 2,087.96% -57.22% Azerbaijan 3,042.82 55.75% 886.21% Oman 2,537.84 -78.08% -65.58% Dominican Republic 2,502.75 -68.98% -64.07% Nicaragua 1,922.67 -22.65% 65.96% UAE 1,135.84 -13.28% -48.26% Turkey 809.08 -92.58% -90.95% Myanmar 724.65 -2.22% -6.91% Madagascar 534.97 30.16% 4.50% Congo Republic 505.85 -26.88% -20.16% Mozambique 483.28 -46.93% 96.40% South Africa 369.92 -83.64% -93.75% Kenya 364.00 44.45% - Bolivia 338.21 -25.80% - Tanzania 294.82 -53.33% -64.87% Nigeria 221.00 689.29% 310.09% Ethiopia 197.45 9,872,200.00% 1,645,283.33% Thailand 136.40 - 50.85% Angola 130.81 - - Vietnam 63.84 - - Papua New Guinea 0.09 - - Netherlands 0.05 6.25% 10.87% Total 2,360,706.88 0.39% -1.74% Data source: General Administration of Customs The following is a breakdown of exports based on data from the website of the General Administration of Customs of China: Destination May 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Malaysia 2,297.60 1.50% - Mongolia 412.23 176,064.53% -0.43% UK 0.52 13.60% 1,626.67% Netherlands 0.49 150.76% 8,133.33% Kazakhstan 0.09 - - Belgium 0.05 -27.54% 13.64% Australia 0.04 21.21% - Total 2,711.03 19.71% 514.63% Data source: General Administration of Customs (Comprehensive by Wenhua)
Jun 20, 2026 21:15Data from the online query platform of customs statistics showed that China's copper cathode imports in March 2026 totaled 279,368.28 mt, up 37.22% MoM and down 21.12% YoY. China imported 99,134 mt of copper cathode from the DRC in March, up 40.29% MoM and down 11.90% YoY. China imported 50,000.35 mt of copper cathode from Russia in March, up 161.09% MoM and down 31.48% YoY. Export side, China's copper cathode exports in March 2026 totaled 58,213.02 mt, down 25.59% MoM and down 14.40% YoY. China exported 20,773.82 mt of copper cathode to Taiwan, China in March, down 27.00% MoM and down 1.54% YoY. China exported 14,825.88 mt of copper cathode to Vietnam in March, up 324.68% MoM and up 109.54% YoY. Below is a breakdown of import data compiled from the General Administration of Customs website: Origin Mar 2026 (mt) MoM YoY DRC 99,134 40.29% -11.90% Russia 50,000.35 161.09% -31.48% Chile 22,176.40 -12.79% -50.96% Japan 16,813.32 149.84% 1.38% Kazakhstan 14,609.34 70.94% -27.94% Zambia 11,917.14 -48.13% -8.35% Australia 10,361.24 3,338.25% 179.50% Pakistan 8,398.21 14.35% 64.90% Myanmar 5,120.18 8.98% 278.21% Indonesia 5,019.44 340.72% 284.62% Peru 4,153.01 -22.79% -59.93% Uzbekistan 4,085.00 30.57% 44.14% Serbia 4,013.21 223.16% 71.66% Netherlands 3,492.23 - - South Africa 3,158.74 75.66% 93.03% UAE 2,332.17 -32.74% -82.42% Qatar 1,490.99 81.41% 2.66% Laos 1,240.29 149.66% 120.76% India 1,135.97 -17.24% 23.41% Spain 1,112.20 - 95.25% Poland 1,040.86 -65.70% -67.21% Belgium 991.46 - -63.55% South Korea 955.28 380.10% -74.44% Egypt 741.65 288.74% 486.40% Turkey 679.23 37.84% -65.17% Thailand 672.95 35.89% -22.71% Malaysia 613.67 -31.49% -74.16% Congo Republic 526.09 - 26.03% China 494.64 -93.81% -87.52% Morocco 393.22 -85.83% -34.82% Oman 344.97 0.02% 584.33% Georgia 328.85 192.31% 47.21% Mexico 306.63 -38.01% -85.20% Mongolia 266.98 -63.16% -86.27% Tajikistan 214.46 -36.44% 8.38% Taiwan, China 184.36 794.98% -51.82% Guinea 127.41 -29.09% -28.30% Sierra Leone 103.81 39.79% - Gabon 98.77 36.40% 113.83% Bolivia 84.3 1,045.38% -78.08% Canada 82.92 245.42% 63.55% Jordan 75.4 - -24.74% Mauritius 70.29 188.67% - Angola 50.48 -66.97% - Mozambique 48.2 - - Kenya 25 - - Brazil 23.48 - - Hong Kong, China 20.98 - 419,500.00% Germany 20.09 -40.76% 143.80% Finland 18.41 -38.81% - US 0.02 118.18% - Italy 0.02 - 15.00% Total 279,368.28 37.22% -21.12% Source: General Administration of Customs Below is a breakdown of export data compiled from the General Administration of Customs website: Destination Mar 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Taiwan, China 20,773.82 -27.00% -1.54% Vietnam 14,825.88 324.68% 109.54% Thailand 9,501.22 86.48% 99.85% South Korea 4,974.88 -79.95% -57.72% Malaysia 4,372.73 157.42% 631.26% Indonesia 1,403.09 -24.76% 99.96% India 1,202.46 -77.01% 9,249,569.23% Pakistan 548.46 171.61% 265.62% Bangladesh 504.81 25,140.40% - UAE 100.48 - - Tanzania 4.57 - - Hong Kong, China 0.61 - - UK 0.01 1,000.00% - Belgium 0.01 66.67% - Total 58,213.02 -25.59% -14.40% Source: General Administration of Customs (Wenhua Comprehensive)
Apr 20, 2026 19:15Data from the online query platform of customs statistics showed that China's imports of copper ore and concentrates in March 2026 totaled 2,629,996.23 mt, up 13.84% MoM and up 9.99% YoY. China imported 820,975.96 mt of copper ore and concentrates from Chile in March, up 9.86% MoM and up 1.61% YoY. China imported 655,587.09 mt of copper ore and concentrates from Peru in March, up 33.96% MoM and up 17.12% YoY. Export side, China's exports of copper ore and concentrates in March 2026 totaled 441.66 mt, up 57,483.31% MoM and up 4,788.37% YoY. China exported 440.29 mt of copper ore and concentrates to Mongolia in March, up 204,684.65% MoM and up 44,028,600.00% YoY. China exported 0.63 mt of copper ore and concentrates to the UK in March, up 108.67% MoM and up 5,116.67% YoY. Below is a breakdown of import data compiled from the website of China's General Administration of Customs: Origin Mar 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Chile 820,975.96 9.86% 1.61% Peru 655,587.09 33.96% 17.12% Mongolia 216,179.71 8.99% 30.00% Russia 130,003.95 84.67% 120.85% Kazakhstan 113,192.78 1.84% -3.49% Mexico 110,475.43 -6.45% -0.58% Serbia 88,460.26 38.98% 68.17% DRC 67,621.60 66.76% 70.74% Ecuador 60,735.30 83.44% -13.98% Australia 53,948.73 25.39% 51.52% Canada 49,086.07 -25.93% 168.17% Brazil 47,986.63 -16.70% 99.48% Armenia 26,008.34 1.92% 51.56% Botswana 23,428.58 -25.88% -35.58% Oman 21,629.46 1,290.47% 587.34% Spain 21,091.23 -59.50% -79.07% Laos 20,138.62 74.01% -3.91% Saudi Arabia 14,005.64 -61.74% -74.34% Philippines 13,780.69 33.35% 916.20% Zambia 10,402.22 -2.43% 523.63% South Africa 10,120.44 8,000.50% 205.01% Eritrea 9,909.68 5.40% -68.35% Turkey 7,500.47 -16.77% -29.31% Morocco 6,694.51 317.57% 189.56% Pakistan 5,754.75 12.62% 1,086.79% UAE 4,527.43 285.35% - Iran 3,531.54 92.06% 2,207,112.50% Namibia 3,359.64 247.39% -8.90% Albania 2,334.52 0.50% 99.12% Dominican Republic 2,297.50 -19.65% -57.56% India 2,149.50 -56.08% 42,989,900.00% Mauritania 1,895.04 0% -71.28% Nicaragua 937.32 700.81% -4.92% Myanmar 893.12 182.94% -53.26% Zimbabwe 729.18 832.99% 458.03% Cambodia 556.34 94.91% - Congo Republic 491.01 117.10% -10.06% Bolivia 431.23 -82.07% 0.62% Colombia 363.69 -94.35% 169.39% Madagascar 308.2 -53.36% 83.45% Tanzania 131.99 -40.54% 73.23% Nigeria 131.36 366.97% 1,313,500.00% Malaysia 79.49 -99.75% 1,135,428.57% Thailand 75.38 - - Vietnam 54.54 -73.90% -83.73% Netherlands 0.07 195.65% 65.85% Romania 0.01 - -100.00% Total 2,629,996.23 13.84% 9.99% Data source: General Administration of Customs Below is a breakdown of export data compiled from the website of China's General Administration of Customs: Destination Mar 2026 (mt) MoM YoY Mongolia 440.29 204,684.65% 44,028,600.00% UK 0.63 108.67% 5,116.67% Netherlands 0.45 156.00% 44,700.00% Belgium 0.21 994.74% 890.48% Australia 0.04 18.75% - Oman 0.01 - - Chile 0.01 0% - India 0.01 100.00% - Total 441.66 57,483.31% 4,788.37% Data source: General Administration of Customs
Apr 20, 2026 18:59【SMM Steel】Serbia's Utva Silosi AD Kovin selected Danieli to supply a new ERW tube line. The investment will expand capabilities, with ops scheduled for H1 2027. The line will produce tubes for various industrial uses, including structural and high-precision auto tubes. It will produce tubes up to 50 mm OD and 3 mm wall thickness at >160 m/min. The line includes continuous coil joining and a high-frequency welder. Downstream ops will produce square, rectangular, and round sections.
Apr 14, 2026 16:14[CleanTech Is About to Sign a 40-Year Operating Contract With the Chilean Government for the Laguna Verde Lithium Project] CleanTech Lithium, an Anglo-Australian company, is about to sign a 40-year contract with the Chilean government to develop the Laguna Verde lithium project in the Atacama Region, enabling it to advance extraction of this mineral at one of the salt lakes opened to the private sector. After reaching agreement with the Ministry of Mining on the terms of the Special Lithium Operating Contract (CEOL), Chile’s Office of the Comptroller General is now expected to approve the document in Q2 2026. CleanTech, its subsidiary Atacama Salt Lakes, and minority shareholders that are among the consortium members established to advance the Laguna Verde project have begun celebrating this new phase, as it provides greater certainty for their investment. [Rio Tinto Begins Commercial Lithium Exports From the Rincon Project] Rio Tinto’s milestone achievement in commencing commercial lithium exports from the Rincon project marked a pivotal moment for the global lithium market. Miners are currently contending with the complex interplay of resource scarcity, geopolitical tensions, and the accelerating popularization of EVs. The traditional supply-chain dependencies that have defined battery materials sourcing for decades are being reshaped by new producers launching commercial operations in previously underexplored regions. These developments signify not merely a slight increase in capacity, but a fundamental shift in how critical minerals move from extraction sites to manufacturing hubs, with implications far beyond quarterly production data. Rio Tinto’s commercial lithium exports from the Rincon project reflected its prudent positioning in one of the world’s most fiercely contested mining regions for this mineral. Following the suspension of the Jadar project in Serbia in 2025, the company shipped 200 mt of battery-grade lithium carbonate from Buenos Aires to Shanghai in March 2026, marking the official start of operations at its core South American lithium asset. The timing of this market entry reflected broader industry dynamics across the Lithium Triangle. Argentina’s regulatory environment has increasingly favoured large-scale international mining operations. In addition, the Rincon project is located in Salta Province, placing Rio Tinto within a geographic cluster that contains significant global lithium resources across Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. [The Geothermal Plant Behind Europe’s Lithium Push] The town of Landau in der Pfalz, near the French-German border, has long been at the heart of the local winemaking industry. The region is also home to the Upper Rhine Valley brine fields, which contain Europe’s largest lithium resources and have now made it a hub for Europe’s push to advance EV development. The planned integrated geothermal-lithium extraction plant forms part of renewable energy producer Vulcan Energy’s ambition to build a carbon-neutral EV supply chain in Europe. The project will use geothermal wells to extract lithium-rich brine from depths of up to 5 kilometers. The high-temperature brine will be pumped to the surface, where lithium will be extracted before being transported to a plant. There, the lithium will be converted through electrolysis into lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM). The brine will then be reinjected underground, while LHM will be delivered to offtakers, including automaker Stellantis, which owns automotive brands such as Citroen and Peugeot. [Liontown's Interim Loss Widens as It Bets on a Recovery in Lithium Prices] Australia's Liontown said on Thursday that its loss widened in H1 due to a non-cash accounting charge, and added that it is evaluating potential expansion options for its Kathleen Valley mine as lithium prices are expected to rise. The miner of this raw material used in EV batteries has been seeing an initial price recovery after nearly two years of weakness. Previously, EV adoption was slower than generally expected, resulting in oversupply. Liontown said in its December quarter report that prices improved, with the selling price reaching $900/mt, up 28% from the previous quarter. As its flagship project transitioned to underground mining, the company sold 190,000 mt of spodumene, a lithium raw material, in H1. Source: https://www.investing.com
Mar 13, 2026 17:16【SMM Steel】Bosnia's trade ministry proposed a 200-day, 30% duty on steel imports following a complaint by Nova Željezara Zenica. In 2025, reinforcing mesh imports surged 192.87% above the 4-year avg, with Serbian and Italian supply up 408.45% and 105.7%. Turkish coiled ribbed bar imports jumped 885.2%, Serbian 113.2%. The ministry warns of idle capacity and import dependency. The measure aims to prevent job losses and damage to local industry.
Feb 13, 2026 11:17[SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: LME Destocking Still Provides Support, LME Zinc Center Rises] Futures: Overnight, the LME zinc contract opened at $3,392/mt. Initially, with bulls and bears intertwined, LME zinc briefly pulled back to a low of $3,368.5/mt. Subsequently, as bulls increased their positions, LME zinc fluctuated upward, reaching a high of $3,458.5/mt during the night session. However, due to insufficient upward momentum, the price center pulled back, ultimately closing up at $3,418/mt, an increase of $20/mt or 0.59%. Trading volume rose to 10,803 lots, and open interest increased by 4,800 lots to 235,000 lots.
Feb 12, 2026 08:54[SMM Analysis: Reshaping Cu Cons Trade Flows: China's New Raw Material Strategy Landscape Amid Geopolitical Chessboard] According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China imported 2.704 million dmt of copper ore and concentrates in December 2025, a month-on-month increase of 7% and a year-on-year increase of 7.2%. From January to December, China’s cumulative imports of copper ore and concentrates reached 30.365 million dmt, a cumulative year-on-year increase of 7.8%.
Jan 31, 2026 23:05Zijin Mining announced on the evening of January 23: The second-phase project of its Julong Copper Mine has been officially completed and put into operation. Building upon the existing 15,000-ton-per-day mining and processing capacity, the Julong Copper Mine will add a new production scale of 20,000 tons per day, forming a total production capacity of 35,000 tons per day. After the second-phase project reaches full production, the annual ore mining and processing scale of the Julong Copper Mine will increase from 45 million tons to 105 million tons. The annual production of mined copper is expected to rise from 190,000 tons in 2025 to approximately 300,000–350,000 tons (with projected mined copper output reaching 300,000 tons in 2026). The annual production of mined molybdenum will increase from 8,000 tons in 2025 to about 13,000 tons, and the annual production of mined silver will rise from 109 tons in 2025 to approximately 230 tons. The Julong Copper Mine will become the largest copper mine in China and a world-class super-large copper mine with the highest altitude and the lowest processing grade globally. Zijin Mining announced on January 15 that the company signed the "Project Cooperation and Equity Transfer Agreement" with Jinmu Co., Ltd. Under the framework of the "Cooperation Intent Agreement" signed on August 29, 2025, the two parties formally reached a package cooperation for the integrated development and deep processing of the Shapinggou Molybdenum Mine in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province. On the premise that Jinmu Co., Ltd. agrees to establish, construct, and operate the smelting company in accordance with the terms and arrangements stipulated in the "Cooperation Agreement," Zijin Mining agrees to transfer a 24% equity stake in Jinsha Molybdenum Industry to Jinmu Co., Ltd. for a consideration of 1,730.87 million yuan. After the transfer, Zijin Mining or its subsidiaries, Jinmu Co., Ltd., and Jinzhai County Urban Development Investment Co., Ltd. will hold 60%, 34%, and 6% equity in Jinsha Molybdenum Industry, respectively. The construction and operation of Jinsha Molybdenum Industry will be led by Zijin Mining. Zijin Mining introduced in its announcement: The Julong Copper Mine is located in a high-altitude, oxygen-deficient region at over 5,000 meters above sea level, characterized by harsh natural geographical conditions, difficult working environments, and extremely challenging construction management. Since acquiring and taking the lead in constructing and operating the Julong Copper Mine in June 2020, the company has relied on its strong independent technology and engineering R&D innovation capabilities across the entire process, as well as the Zijin spirit of "hard work and pioneering innovation." It took only about 18 months to complete and put the first-phase project into operation. After the commencement of the second-phase project, it once again achieved completion and operation in approximately 18 months. Currently, the company is further planning the implementation of the third-phase project for the Julong Copper Mine. If the project is approved by the relevant government departments, the final mining elevation of the third-phase project will be reduced from 4,452 meters in the second phase to 3,880 meters. The exploitable copper reserves within the boundary will exceed 20 million tons, and the annual ore mining and processing volume will reach approximately 200 million tons. Upon completion, the Julong Copper Mine will become the world's largest copper mine in terms of mining and processing scale, with an annual copper production of about 600,000 tons after reaching full capacity. Zijin Mining's announcement also revealed that, based on the resource reserves of the Julong Copper Mine filed with the natural resources authority in 2024, the mine's cumulative identified copper metal resource content reached 25.88 million mt, approximately 2.5 times the 10.41 million mt verified at the time of the company's acquisition, making it the largest copper mine in China by filed resource volume. The Julong Copper Mine also contains associated resources, including molybdenum metal content of 1.672 million mt with an average grade of 0.019%, and silver metal content of 15,145 mt with an average grade of 1.68 g/mt. The company's wholly-owned subsidiary and its controlled publicly listed firm, Zangge Mining Co., Ltd., collectively hold an 80.88% interest in the Julong Copper Mine, with the post-penetration equity ratio attributable to the company being 58.16%. The completion and commissioning of the Julong Copper Mine Phase II project will significantly enhance the comprehensive strength of the company's copper segment. The Julong Copper Mine, together with the company's core copper mine projects in Serbia and the DRC, has formed a "troika" pattern for copper industry development. Coupled with the successive construction, commissioning, and technological transformation and capacity expansion of a number of key copper mine projects under the company, this will drive continuous growth in the company's mined copper production. This is of great significance for consolidating the company's leading position in the global copper industry and achieving its strategic goal of becoming a world-class mining group. Zijin Mining announced on the evening of December 30, 2025, in its performance forecast that, based on preliminary calculations by the finance department, it is estimated that the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company for the full year of 2025 will be approximately 51-52 billion yuan, an increase of approximately 18.9-19.9 billion yuan compared to 32.051 billion yuan in the same period last year, up approximately 59%-62% YoY. The estimated net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company after deducting non-recurring gains and losses for the full year of 2025 is approximately 47.5-48.5 billion yuan, an increase of approximately 15.8-16.8 billion yuan compared to 31.693 billion yuan in the same period last year, up approximately 50%-53% YoY. Regarding the main reasons for the expected performance increase in the reporting period, Zijin Mining's announcement stated: (1) The production of major mineral products during the reporting period increased YoY, specifically: mined gold approximately 90 mt (2024: 73 mt), mined copper (including Kamoa's attributable production) approximately 1.09 million mt (2024: 1.07 million mt), mined silver approximately 437 mt (2024: 436 mt), and lithium carbonate equivalent (including Zangge Mining's production from May to December) approximately 25,000 mt (2024: 261 mt). (2) During the reporting period, the selling prices of mined gold, mined copper, and mined silver rose YoY. Regarding the company's production plan for major mineral products in 2026, Zijin Mining's announcement stated: The company proposed the following production plan for major mineral products in 2026: mined gold 105 mt, mined copper 1.2 million mt, lithium carbonate equivalent 120,000 mt, and mined silver 520 mt. In its latest research report, Goldman Sachs significantly raised its gold price forecast, increasing its December 2026 gold price prediction from the previous $4,900/oz to $5,400/oz, an increase of over 10%. Goldman Sachs believes that the private investment sector is accelerating its allocation to gold, which may become a key force driving gold prices to rise beyond expectations. The report stated that as global policy uncertainty increases, private investment departments are placing greater emphasis on gold as a hedging tool. These investors are not expected to sell their holdings in 2026, which effectively raises the baseline level for gold price movements. Pacific Securities' research report on Zijin Mining pointed out: Mine gold production exceeded targets. In 2025, the company's mine copper/mine gold/mine silver/lithium carbonate production was 1.09 million mt, 90 mt, 437 mt, and 25,000 mt, respectively, up +2%/+23%/+0%/+9,479% YoY, achieving 95%/106%/97%/63% of the full-year targets, respectively. In Q4, mine copper/mine gold/mine silver production was 260,000 mt, 25 mt, and 102 mt, respectively, down -7%/+34%/-3% YoY and -1%/+6%/-9% QoQ. The overachievement in mine gold production was mainly due to increased production from the Akim mine, Shanxi Zijin, Serbia Zijin Copper, and the Porgera mine, among others. The mine gold target exceeded expectations. The company's 2026 production targets for mine copper/mine gold/mine silver/lithium carbonate are 1.2 million mt, 105 mt, 520 mt, and 120,000 mt, respectively, up +10%/+17%/+19%/+380% YoY, maintaining a high growth trend. The mine gold target increase exceeded expectations; based on the commissioning progress, the 2026 mine gold increment is expected to come from projects such as the Akim mine, Raygorodok mine, Buriticá, and Rosebel. Regarding mine copper, the Kamoa copper mine is expected to gradually return to full production capacity in 2026, with the main increment coming from the Julong copper mine. Metal prices continue to rise, and the long-term price trend remains positive. Against a backdrop of weakening US dollar credit, coupled with geopolitical factors and tightening metal supply and demand, metal prices continue to climb. Current SHFE gold prices exceed 1,000 yuan/gram, SHFE silver prices exceed 20 yuan/gram, and SHFE copper prices exceed 100,000 yuan/mt. Both volume and price increases will drive the company's sustained performance improvement. The report considers the company a global leading mining enterprise with outstanding globalization capabilities, strong growth certainty, and excellent cost control. With continuous increases in gold, silver, copper, and lithium production, the company is expected to fully benefit from high industry prosperity, maintaining a "Buy" rating. Risks: Demand falls short of expectations; supply exceeds expectations; US Fed tightening exceeds expectations.
Jan 24, 2026 07:47