China’s Copper Cathode Production Sees Slight Dip in October Amid Maintenance Closures

China's copper cathode production in October 2024 amounted to 995,500 tonnes, according to the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). This figure marks a 0.9% decline from September but a slight increase of 0.2% compared to October 2023. Overall, Chinese companies produced 9.96 million tonnes of copper in the first ten months of the year, reflecting a 5.1% increase year-on-year, keeping the industry on track for a fourth consecutive record year.

SMM attributed the October production decline primarily to the repair and maintenance of seven plants with a combined annual capacity of 1.99 million tonnes. This maintenance is expected to negatively impact the copper industry's performance in November as well.

Additionally, many smelters are facing shortages of copper concentrate, which has led to reduced capacity utilization. The ongoing raw material supply challenges have also delayed the start-up of several new production lines, further affecting output.