BEIJING: China’s copper output rose 6.71% in December from the previous month to 802,200 tonnes as producers stepped up production to meet annual targets, state-backed research house Antaike said on Tuesday.
The 22 major copper smelters surveyed by Antaike, accounting for over 80% of China’s total valid capacity, hiked output last month thanks to fewer maintenance breaks and easing power shortages across the country, Antaike said in a statement, adding that December production dipped 2.45% on an annual basis.
For 2021, output jumped 7.24% to 9.18 million tonnes fuelled by recovering treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs), according to Antaike.
The research house expected cathodes production at the major smelters to slip to around 770,000 tonnes in January because of coming Spring Festival holidays.
Antaike also said China’s December refined tin production at 20 major smelters increased 3.4% month-on-month to 16,000 tonnes, sending full-year output to 174,000 tonnes, up 11.7% from 2020.
The 51 zinc smelters surveyed churned out 455,000 tonnes of the metal in December, down 3,400 tonnes from November, said Antaike.
Full-year zinc output came in at 5.39 million tonnes, up 0.7% from the previous year, missing market expectations but still hitting a new record on improving raw material supplies.
It anticipates growth in China’s refined zinc production to slow further in 2022. Refined lead output last month stood at 395,000 tonnes, rising 4,000 tonnes from November but were down 6.2% from same month a year earlier, said Antaike. China’s 2021 refined lead production from major producers increased 3% to 4.76 million tonnes, all supported by higher secondary lead output. The research house forecast the country’s refined lead production will grow around 87,000 tonnes this year.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.