China copper imports up 12 pct in September
Shanghai. October 13. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's copper imports continued to rise on a monthly basis in September, with unwrought copper (copper cathode, copper anode and copper alloy) and semi-finished copper products up 11.79 percent at 380,526 tons, according to preliminary statistics released by Chinese customs Oct. 13.
Imports of the metal have been on the up since June after a slow period in the first half (H1) when traders in China were selling off stockpiles built up amid rising prices last year.
Imports of unwrought aluminum (primary aluminum and aluminum alloy) and semi-finished aluminum products, meanwhile, dropped by 6.79 percent to 66,163 tons during the month, and exports of unwrought aluminum declined 2.43 percent to 60,715 tons.
Alumina imports doubled on a monthly basis to 80,000 tons.
China's imports of copper, aluminum and alumina, September and first 9 months of 2011
| Item | Imports, Sept (tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Imports, Jan-Sept (tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Unwrought copper copper semis | 380,526 | 11.79 | 2,728,787 | -17.50 |
| Copper scrap | 420,000 | 10.53 | 3,430,000 | 6.70 |
| Alumina | 80,000 | 100.00 | 1,190,000 | -62.50 |
| Unwrought aluminum aluminum semis | 66,163 | -6.79 | 667,863 | -7.90 |
| Aluminum scrap | 22 | -99.99 | 1,900,000 | -11.50 |
China's aluminum exports, September and first 9 months of 2011
| Item | Exports, Sept (tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Exports, Jan-Sept (tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Unwrought aluminum | 60,715 | -2.43 | 553,617 | 3.90 |
Source: GAC
Note: Monthly changes are based on previous figures from the GAC