The operation of the non-ferrous metal industry in the first three quarters of 2023

First, the production remained stable. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in the first three quarters, the industrial added value of the non-ferrous metal industry increased by 6.2% year-on-year, 2.2 percentage points higher than the industrial average. The output of ten non-ferrous metals was 55.02 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%. Among them, the output of refined copper was 9.55 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 13.4%, and the output of primary aluminum was 30.81 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.3%.

Second, the price trend is differentiated. According to the data of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, in the first three quarters, the main non-ferrous metal varieties rose and fell, of which the average spot prices of copper and lead were 68,311 yuan/ton and 15,547 yuan/ton, up 0.2% and 2.3% year-on-year respectively, and the average spot prices of aluminum, zinc, industrial silicon and battery-grade lithium carbonate were 18,618 yuan/ton, 21,749 yuan/ton, 15,675 yuan/ton and 301,000 yuan/ton, down 8.8%, 14.2%, 21.8% and 36.4% year-on-year respectively.

Third, mineral imports increased year-on-year, and aluminum exports decreased year-on-year. According to the data of the General Administration of Customs, in terms of imports, the physical volume of copper concentrate and bauxite imports in the first three quarters was 20.34 million tons and 106.64 million tons respectively, a year-on-year increase of 7.8% and 12.8%, and in terms of exports, the export volume of aluminum products in the first three quarters was 3.953 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 18.3%.

Source: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China