GACC: China's H1 unwrought copper, semis imports fall 5% YoY

China's imports of unwrought copper and semi-finished copper products fell 5.3% year-on-year to some 2.49 million tonnes during this year's January-June half, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GACC) on July 14.

This category – comprising copper cathodes, rods, tubes, sheets, and foil – is a key barometer of China's downstream manufacturing activity and industrial demand, Mysteel Global notes. The decline is not a sign of collapsing consumption but reflects structural shifts, analysts said. First, domestic copper production capacity is expanding. China's copper