Copper Prices Squeeze Secondary Rod Industry as Tax Costs Rise

In August 2026, the operating rate of secondary copper rod rose to 11.83%, surpassing expectations and increasing by 1.57 percentage points from July.

The average price difference between copper cathode rod and secondary copper rod remained high throughout the month, ranging from 1,450-1,874 yuan/mt.

However, despite this, secondary copper rod enterprises struggled to maintain profitability due to high tax costs and raw material shortages.