[Copper Wire and Cable Monthly Export Trends] According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, in May 2026, China's copper wire and cable exports amounted to 141,300 mt, up 8.27% MoM and up 14.26% YoY; from January to May 2026, cumulative exports reached 633,700 mt, up 15.6% YoY. (HS codes: 85444921, 85444929, 85446012, 85446013, 85446014, 85446019, 85446090)

This week (June 2 – June 18), the operating rate of SMM copper wire and cable enterprises was recorded at 69.27%, down 1.76 percentage points MoM and down 3.99 percentage points YoY. During the week, copper prices fluctuated at highs, suppressing downstream purchasing enthusiasm and weakening new orders, which weighed on operations; only some stock orders supported by the pullback in copper prices late last week limited the decline in the operating rate. End-use demand remained subdued overall, with orders across most industries showing mediocre performance; AI data center ancillary orders performed relatively well, while export orders also provided a certain level of support for enterprises. On the inventory front, after copper prices rebounded, enterprises prioritized consuming existing inventories, leading to a 2.88% MoM decline in raw material inventory. Enterprises slowed their production pace and prioritized consuming existing finished products, resulting in a 1.41% MoM decline in finished product inventories, mainly due to. Looking ahead to next week, no signs of improvement have yet emerged in the sluggish downstream demand. SMM expects the operating rate of copper wire and cable enterprises next week (June 19 – June 25) to decline further by 0.81 percentage points MoM to 68.46%, down 1.72 percentage points YoY.

Northern China is the core hinterland of China's cable industry, leveraging its industrial heritage, full-chain supporting facilities, and favorable policies from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development to build a comprehensive industrial cluster integrating raw material processing, cable production, new material R&D, and intelligent equipment manufacturing. The regional cable industry’s annual output value exceeds 100 billion yuan, supported by a solid industrial foundation and vast market space. Compared to the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta advantage industry clusters, the northern cable industry still faces shortcomings such as scattered industrial resources, weak industry-academia-research linkages, and insufficient risk resilience of the industry chain. Breaking through collaboration barriers is key to industry quality improvement. will be held on July 23-24, 2026 at Crowne Plaza Qingdao Jinshui, Shandong . The conference focuses on three major themes: industrial collaboration, green intelligence, and globalization. SMM joins hands with Baotou Zhenxiong Copper Industry Co., Ltd. to invite merchants from the entire industry chain to gather, deeply explore industry opportunities, and boost the quality and upgrade of the northern cable industry. Click to attend, and we look forward to meeting you at the conference. Baotou Zhenxiong Copper Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Baotou Zhenxiong) was registered and established in June 2015 in Baotou Rare Earth High-tech Zone. The company’s main business focuses on R&D and production of high-precision, high-purity copper wire drawing products . Currently, it has an annual production capacity of 100,000 mt of copper rod and 40,000 mt of various copper wire conductor deep processing. Products cover pure copper conductor materials with diameters from 0.016 mm to 8 mm, as well as various alloy, tin-plated, gold-plated, silver-plated, and other copper conductor materials. In the field of R&D and production of alloy ultra-fine wires, the company has reached a leading level in China. Currently, the finest diameter of high-precision copper alloy wire products produced is 0.016 mm, equivalent to 1/5 the thickness of a human hair. Its independently developed high-purity, low-resistance new high-conductivity material products have won the honorary title of the first batch of new materials in the autonomous region for two consecutive years. It is the only high-tech enterprise in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region engaged in the R&D and manufacturing of high-purity, high-precision copper conductors. The company’s products are widely used downstream in high-end fields such as precision electronic components, medical devices, aviation, automotive electronics, communications, gaming consoles, industrial robots, ships, deep-sea cables, and drilling. Since its establishment, the company has maintained excellent operating performance. In 2024, its sales volume was 72,000 mt, revenue was 5.12 billion yuan, a YoY increase of 45.22%. Since its establishment, the company has been committed to deep R&D and deep processing of new copper conductor materials, continuously improving and innovating. Currently, it has obtained 3 invention patents and 20 utility model patents. Meanwhile, the company emphasizes systematic management and has successively obtained the following certifications: ISO 9001:2015 international quality management system certification; ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system certification; ISO 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system certification; ISO 50001 energy management system certification; IATF 16949:2016 international quality management system certification for the automotive industry; and ISO 14021:2016 recycled content verification statement. In November 2019, it passed the Level 3 safety production standardization certification. In 2018, the company was recognized as a "High-Tech Enterprise," and in the same year, it was honored as an "Outstanding Private Enterprise of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region." In 2019, the company's R&D center was rated as the autonomous region-level "New Copper Conductor Materials" R&D center. In 2020, it was designated as a pilot construction unit for Baotou's "Zero-Waste City" initiative and a "Green Factory." In June 2020, it was recognized as an autonomous region-level "Green Factory" enterprise and a "Specialized and Sophisticated" small and medium-sized enterprise in the autonomous region. In 2021, it was recognized as an Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-level enterprise technology center and was honored with the Baotou City Integrity Enterprise title. In December 2021, the company was ranked 90th among the "Top 100 Private Enterprises in Inner Mongolia" and 15th among the "Top 30 Private Sci-Tech Innovation Enterprises in Inner Mongolia." In May 2022, it was recognized as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-level Copper Conductor Industrial Design Center. In September 2022, it received the title of Benchmark Demonstration Enterprise for Standard Adoption in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for 2022. In 2023, the company's "TU1 Grade Copper Wire Rod for Electrical Applications" product was recognized as a national-level green design product. In 2024, it was recognized as an Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-level green supply chain management enterprise and was honored as the autonomous region-level Manufacturing Single Champion Enterprise. In 2025, it received the titles of Baotou City Gazelle Enterprise and the autonomous region-level Outstanding Sci-Tech Innovation Private Enterprise. In 2026, it passed the national green factory certification. Contact Information SMM Conference Contact Zhang Guolei 166 0190 0190 zhangguolei@smm.cn

[SMM Copper Wire and Cable Operating Rate Forecast] In June, as the holiday factor fully fades, enterprise production orders resume, and the copper wire and cable operating rate is expected to rise slightly by 0.12 percentage points MoM to 72.45%, basically flat YoY. However, the industry will largely enter the traditional consumption off-season in June, with conventional terminal orders such as real estate and civil sectors generally weak, making a strong recovery difficult. The subsequent trend will mainly depend on the sprint of power grid projects landing at the end of Q2, together with the pace of copper price fluctuations, which will jointly determine the extent of industry demand and operating rate repair in June.

This week (June 5–June 11), the SMM copper wire and cable enterprise operating rate recorded 71.03%, up 2.65 percentage points WoW and down 5.28 percentage points YoY. Falling copper prices this week effectively boosted end-user purchase willingness, and enterprises saw an increase in new orders, driving the operating rate to rebound. From the end-use demand perspective, orders in the power sector performed well, offshore wind power orders remained stable, and construction sector orders also showed marginal recovery. On the inventory side, some enterprises remained optimistic about the future copper price outlook and took the opportunity to restock during the price pullback, with raw material inventories rising 3.73% WoW; finished product inventories fell 2.95% WoW, mainly because the initial copper price decline spurred end-user cargo pick-up enthusiasm. Looking ahead to next week, as copper prices continued to decline toward the end of this week, end-user wait-and-see sentiment intensified, waiting for lower prices to enter the market, and order growth lacked sustainability. However, with new orders gradually entering the production schedule, overall operations will remain stable. SMM expects that next week (June 12–June 18) the copper wire and cable operating rate will continue to increase by 0.3 percentage points WoW to 71.33%, down 1.93 percentage points YoY.

This week (May 29 – June 4), the operating rate of SMM copper wire and cable enterprises recorded 68.37%, up 2.27 percentage points WoW and down 7.71 percentage points YoY. The increase this week was mainly due to the fulfillment of backlog orders scheduled for production, driven by the copper price pullback at the end of last week. Meanwhile, with copper prices fluctuating at highs this week, new order follow-up was sluggish. End-use demand side, grid orders weakened. Only demand for submarine cables and cables in the communications sector showed notable resilience, while demand in other sectors was relatively sluggish. Inventory side, the copper price pullback at the end of the week prompted enterprises to make periodic restocking. Raw material inventories increased 1.42% WoW, and finished product inventories increased 1.22% WoW, mainly because rising copper prices dampened end-user cargo pick-up enthusiasm. Looking ahead to next week, copper prices edged down again toward the end of this week but did not reach the psychological price level for end-user purchases. The market only released rigid demand, and new orders were scarce. SMM expects that next week (June 5 – June 11), the operating rate of copper wire and cable enterprises will decline further by 2.39 percentage points WoW to 65.98%, down 10.33 percentage points YoY.

The global secondary copper industry is at a critical stage characterized by tightening resources, green transformation, and intensifying global competition. As environmental protection policies continue to tighten and the energy crisis deepens, secondary copper, with its significant environmental and economic advantages, plays an increasingly prominent role in alleviating tight supply of primary copper and promoting low-carbon development. Currently, the global copper industry chain faces multiple pressures including supply vulnerability, demand transformation, and low-carbon upgrading. Major economies have successively included copper in their critical minerals lists, and international competition over secondary copper resources is becoming increasingly fierce. Optimizing the industry chain structure, improving recycling efficiency, and harmonizing global standards have become urgent priorities for the industry. To help the industry gain a comprehensive understanding of global policy trends and market landscape, SMM and TOUCHI INTERNATIONAL CORP. have joined hands to produce the , focusing on industry development directions and conveying market insights, aiming to provide practitioners with an authoritative and professional industry distribution guide. (Click the link to get it for free:) TOUCHI INTERNATIONAL CORP. was founded in 2001. With 25 years of deep engagement in the recycled resources sector, it is a globally renowned non-ferrous metal processing and green supply chain service provider, with operations covering more than ten countries and regions including China, South Korea, Vietnam, the US, Australia, and the UAE. The company is headquartered in Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, and has a core production site in Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, with a factory area of 12,000 m², equipped with 8 dry and wet copper wire nodules processing lines. It has its own transportation team, achieving integrated operations of raw material recycling, transportation, and processing. Leveraging a professional multinational team and global coordination capabilities, it specializes in the processing and trading of secondary metal materials including bare bright copper wire nodules, bare bright wire, No. 2 copper, tin bronze, bare bright copper ingots, 6-series aluminum extrusions, tin ingots, and more . With stable quality and multiple quality certifications including ISO9001, CIC, and CQC, the company upholds the principles of green development, shared benefits, and people-oriented management, and is highly influential in Japan's secondary metals industry. TOUCHI INTERNATIONAL CORP. Contact: Ryu kokushi Contact Information (Japan): Tel: +81-3-5545-4065 Mobile: +81 9024352198 Email: long@to-chi.co.jp / ryu@to-chi.co.jp URL: https://www.to-chi.co.jp/ Contact: Huiming Yang Mobile: +86 13701160431 (China) Email: huiming@to-chi.co.jp Address (China): 201-03, 2nd Floor, Building 2, No. 52, Chunhe Road, Daxing District, Beijing Address (Headquarters): 3F, 3-6-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan SMM Joint Production Contact Liu Mingkang 156 5309 0867 liumingkang@smm.cn

[SMM Copper Wire and Cable Weekly Operating Rate] The SMM copper wire and cable enterprise operating rate came in at 66.1% this week, down 0.77 percentage points MoM and down 12.57 percentage points YoY. Copper prices fluctuated at highs during the week, and with the traditional off-season gradually approaching, overall industry demand showed no significant improvement.

This week (May 22–May 28), the SMM copper wire and cable enterprise operating rate was recorded at 66.1%, down 0.77 percentage points WoW and down 12.57 percentage points YoY. During the week, copper prices stayed high, and as the traditional off-season gradually approached, overall industry demand showed no significant improvement. End-use demand side, only State Grid orders were heard to remain stable, with submarine cable and channel orders performing relatively well overall; medium- and low-voltage products for construction and real estate sectors continued to deliver mediocre performance. Inventory side, raw material inventory increased 2.06% WoW, mainly because some enterprises restocked when copper prices pulled back at the end of the week; finished product inventories increased 1.37% WoW, indicating that weakening demand slowed down end-user cargo pick-up. Looking ahead to next week, the copper price pullback at the end of the week is expected to drive some growth in new orders, boost this week's production schedule arrangements, and push up the operating rate. SMM expects the copper wire and cable operating rate next week (May 29–June 4) to continue rising 1.26 percentage points WoW to 67.36%, down 8.72 percentage points YoY.

The global secondary copper industry is at a critical stage characterized by tightening resources, green transformation, and intensifying global competition. As environmental protection policies continue to tighten and the energy crisis deepens, secondary copper, with its significant environmental and economic advantages, plays an increasingly prominent role in alleviating tight supply of primary copper and promoting low-carbon development. Currently, the global copper industry chain faces multiple pressures including fragile supply, demand transformation, and low-carbon upgrading. Major economies have successively included copper in their critical minerals lists, and international competition over secondary copper resources is becoming increasingly fierce. Optimizing the industry chain structure, improving recycling efficiency, and harmonizing global standards have become urgent priorities for the industry. To help the industry gain a comprehensive understanding of global policy trends and market landscapes, SMM and Uchida Corporation have joined hands to produce the , focusing on industry development directions and conveying market insights, aiming to provide practitioners with an authoritative and professional industry distribution guide. (Click the link to receive for free:) Focusing on Resource Recycling, Connecting Global Markets Basic Information · Company Name: Uchida Corporation · Headquarters: Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan · Established: 2013 Main Business Recovery, sorting, processing, and sales of stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and other non-ferrous and special metals, as well as international procurement and export trade. Core Business Activities · Dismantling project contracting · Participation in large-scale bidding projects · Recovery of industrial metal scrap generated by recycling and dismantling companies · Bulk metal exports to clients outside China · Global metal raw material procurement and trade Production and Processing Capacity · Factory Facilities: 2 metal recycling plants, 1 copper wire nodules processing plant · Monthly Processing Capacity: Copper: approximately 300 mt Stainless steel: approximately 500 mt Aluminum: approximately 200 mt Total: over 1,000 mt Qualifications and Licenses · ISO9001 (Quality) · ISO45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) · ISO14001 (Environment) · Hyogo Prefecture Specified Construction Business License (Special-7) No. 303544 · Hyogo Prefectural Public Safety Commission License: Metal Scrap Dealer · Hyogo Prefectural Public Safety Commission License: Machinery and Tools Dealer · Industrial Waste Collection and Transportation License International Trade and Export Advantages · Leveraging high-grade recycled metal resources from Japan, maintaining long-term stable exports to Asian and European and US markets · Establishing an international procurement network to achieve multi-channel supply of recycled metal raw materials · Strictly implementing quality sorting and processing standards to meet ex-China clients' requirements for composition and specifications · Providing one-stop trade services from sourcing and processing to logistics Business Philosophy With efficiency and environmental protection at its core, leveraging a comprehensive qualification system, promoting cross-border resource recycling, and creating long-term sustainable value for clients. Uchida Corporation SMM Joint Production Contact Liu Mingkang 156 5309 0867 liumingkang@smm.cn