Ooooh Dear ...How Will China's Tariffs Impact Copper Supply Chains?
April 10, 2025
China's swift retaliation against Washington's 34% tariffs is expected to severely disrupt copper raw material flows between the two economic giants, creating significant challenges for Chinese copper smelters. These facilities, already struggling with raw material shortages and declining profitability, now face an uncertain future as Beijing's new tariffs target critical US copper imports.According to projections from Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), US copper scrap imports to China are expected to reach only 100,000 tons or less in the first four months of 2025, a dramatic decline from the nearly 440,000 tons imported in 2024. Even more concerning for China's copper industry, US copper concentrate exports to China are forecast to plummet to just 50,000-70,000 tons in 2025, down from 460,000 tons in 2024.
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