NBS: China's copper cathode, semis output both rise in Jan-Feb

China's production of refined copper and semi-finished copper products both rose year-on-year during the first two months of 2026, driven by strong smelter output, supportive government policies, and resilient demand from emerging sectors.

The country produced around 2.47 million tonnes of refined copper (copper cathode) in January-February, up 9% year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The NBS combines its output data for January-February in its March releases as the Chinese New Year holiday – which usually falls in either of