US copper scrap exports increased by 16.4pc in the first four months to 282,040.1mt when compared to 242,405.8mt of the same period last year, according to the US Census Bureau’s data. In April, exports jumped 37.7pc to 73,506.2mt from 53367.6mt in the same prior-year month.
April’s total copper export growth was headed by shipments to China, which stood at 5,111,993mt, followed by South Korea at 2,183,411mt, Malaysia at 1,817,728mt, Germany at 1,261,969mt, and Greece at 742,881mt. Mexico, the only country within the Americas to import copper from the US, totaled 289,595mt.
The total of refined copper exports rose by 125pc to 23,547.9mt in April from 10,465.7mt in the same month of last year and red brass copper exports rose by 121.5pc to 1,443.9mt. Yellow brass copper exports increased by 45pc to 3,312.7mt in April 2021 when compared to April 2020.
Bare bright copper exports decreased by 15.6pc to 5135.6mt in April from the previous year. Exports of #1 copper rose by 26.8pc to 5,289.7mt and #2 copper exports grew by 77pc to 9,640.1mt. Other copper exports moved up 3.5pc to 25,136.2mt in April when compared to the same period of the year prior.
US copper imports decreased by 22,4pc in the first four months to 34,828.8mt compared to 44,856.3mt within the same timeframe in 2020. The US only imported refined copper and other copper scrap imports during the first four months and April.
Refined copper imports covered 29.5pc of April imports at 2,782.9mt, a 61.2pc decrease from a year earlier. Imports of other copper scrap sunk 59.6pc to 6,658.4mt from a year earlier.