China imports 3.92 mln tons of copper in first 11 months
Shanghai. December 11. INTERFAX-CHINA - China imported 3.92 million tons of unwrought copper (copper cathode, copper anode and copper alloy) and semi-finished copper products in the first 11 months of 2009, a 66.8 percent expansion on an annual basis, according to preliminary statistics released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Dec. 11.
Unwrought copper and semi-finished copper product imports in November increased by 10.28 percent month-on-month to 290,158 tons.
Imports of unwrought aluminum (primary aluminum and aluminum alloy) and aluminum semi-finished products reached 2.2 million tons during the eleven-month period, jumping by 172.2 percent from the same period last year.
Such imports in November increased by 39.33 percent from the previous month to 120,674 tons.
The country also imported 4.79 million tons of alumina in the first eleven months, up 15.4 percent from the same period of 2008.
Meanwhile, China's exports of unwrought aluminum in the period dropped by 67.9 percent on an annual basis to 245,519 tons.
The tables below show China's copper, aluminum and alumina imports, as well as aluminum exports in November and the first 11 months of 2009.
China's copper, aluminum and alumina imports, November and the first 11 months of 2009
| Item | Imports, Nov 2009 (tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Imports, Jan - Nov 2009 (tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Unwrought copper and copper semis | 290,158 | 10.28 | 3,921,211 | 66.8 |
| Copper scrap | 300,000 | 15.38 | 3,550,000 | -31.6 |
| Alumina | 280,000 | -31.87 | 4,790,000 | 15.4 |
| Unwrought aluminum and aluminum semis | 120,674 | 39.33 | 2,204,113 | 172.2 |
| Aluminum scrap | 250,000 | 0 | 2,320,000 | 14.8 |
Source: GAC
Note: Monthly changes are based on figures previously released by the GAC.
China's aluminum exports, November and the first 11 months of 2009
| Item | Exports, Nov 2009 (tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Exports, Jan - Nov 2009 (tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Unwrought aluminum | 38,014 | -3.93 | 245,519 | -67.9 |
Source: GAC
Note: Monthly changes are based on figures previously released by the GAC.
-XH