Consumption trends--Weak global copper consumption for the remainder of 2009

摘要

CRU remains pessimistic about world copper consumption. Struggling economic growth and weak demand for copper semis is the case in most parts of the world. As we said at the 8~(th) World Copper Conference we co-hosted in Santiago, world semis consumption in 2009 is expected to contract by 16 percent y-o-y. In the first two months of 2009, copper and alloy semis trade flows outside China fell by 32 percent y-o-y whilst that of copper wire and wirerod declined by 25 percent y-o-y. Insulated wire and cable exports plunged by 30 percent y-o-y. We use trade flows as a proxy for semis production and consumption.