......... for the month of June are set to rise 25% as compared to April. ``Refined copper imports by China may rebound to 200,000 tonnes in June from the 160,236 tonnes that the country imported in April,'' said commodity trader Danikbhai Shah.
China is one of the world's largest users of the metal. The Asian country has been taking advantage of cheap prices to stock up and has been importing large amounts of copper, he added.
``We think China's sudden appetite for copper signals a rebound in industrial consumption. The country has been stockpiling since last November,'' said Shiv Hari, commodities analyst at a brokerage firm here.
He added that in 2010, China's imports of raw copper had grown considerably. Imports of copper concentrate increased by 5.5% year-on-year to 6.47 million tonnes, while copper scrap imports jumped 9.2% year-on-year to 4.36 million tonnes.
Last year, China produced 1.16 million tonnes of copper concentrate. Hari said the country relied on imports for most of its demand.
Investment houses have noted that copper demand in China in 2011 is set to exceed supply by 635,000 metric tonnes, the biggest deficit since 2004, and as compared with 234,000 tonnes in 2010.
While JPMorgan Securities has predicted a deficit of 500,000 tonnes to 600,000 tonnes this year, Macquarie said it expects a shortfall of 550,000 tonnes. The International Copper Study Group has noted a shortage of 435,000 tonnes.
Analysts have also been speculating over the growing demand from both India and China, which they say is set to push prices on base metals higher.
China's largest copper producer, Jiangxi Copper Corporation, is also on the lookout for more mines abroad as it aims to increase its annual output from the 900,000 tonnes in 2010 to 1.5 million tonnes during the next five years.
``We will participate in more copper mining venture investment projects overseas to meet our demand for copper raw materials, which are needed as we expand the business over the next eight to 10 years,'' Li Yihuang, chairman of Jiangxi Copper, was quoted by newswire reports as saying.
The company is said to be working with Afghan officials to find a way to move forward with its copper project southwest of Kabul in Afghanistan, in a move that is keenly being watched by Indian companies.
A company official of Hindustan Copper said he expected domestic demand in China for copper to rise by around 7% this year, driven by the fast growing construction industry.
He added that increased shipments into China, which represents about 40% of global demand, may also push prices higher. Copper prices have fallen 9.8% from a record high in February.
Three month futures on the London Metal Exchange had peaked at $10,190 per tonne on February 15, before sliding on concerns that global economic growth may have slowed down.
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