Weekly review of LME base metals markets covering aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and tin, analysing price action, spreads, warehouse stocks, cancelled warrants, and the macro and physical drivers behind trading activity during the week ending 5 June 2026.
May brought a modest increase in China’s copper concentrate imports, but unwrought copper volumes continued to lag last year’s pace.
China's imports of copper ore and concentrates edged higher in May, reaching 2.36 million metric tonnes, up 0.38% from April, according to customs data released on 9 June. Despite the monthly increase, cumulative imports for the first five months of the year totalled 12.275 million tonnes, 1% lower than in the corresponding period of 2025.
Imports of unwrought copper and copper products moved in the opposite direction, slipping to 446,000 tonnes in May, 1.33% lower than the previous month. Total imports for January-May reached 2.01 million tonnes, down 7% from the same period in 2025.
Weekly review of LME base metals markets covering aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and tin, analysing price action, spreads, warehouse stocks, cancelled warrants, and the macro and physical drivers behind trading activity during the week ending 5 June 2026.
Konkola Copper Mines has taken its Nchanga smelter offline for planned maintenance, with the shutdown forming part of a wider cycle of outages across Zambia’s copper-processing sector.
Aluminium Bahrain [Alba] has agreed to acquire Aluminium Dunkerque, the largest primary aluminium smelter in the EU, in a deal valued at $2.2 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
Weekly review of LME base metals markets covering aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and tin, analysing price action, spreads, warehouse stocks, cancelled warrants, and the macro and physical drivers behind trading activity during the week ending 29 May 2026.
