Consumption negatively impacted by the high prices

摘要

Normally, the second quarter is the high copper consumption season In China. But, we saw a different production picture of copper end-use sectors in April, from the recent data released by NBS. The important copper end-use industries, generation equipment, air-conditioner, and cool showcase witnessed the negative growth in April 2006, with rate at -8.5 percent, -4.7 percent, -4.1 percent respectively. However, the growth rate of these industries werel49.3 percent, 39.9 percent and 17.3 percent respectively at the same time last year. Antaike estimates that copper consumption in power industry accounts for over half of the total in China (2006 estimated copper consumption at 3.90 million tonnes). Copper consumption in power generation represents about 12 percent of the total in power industry. Air-conditioner industry is the second largest copper end-use sector.. Copper consumed in air-conditioner industry was around 12 percent of the total. There is a strong feeling that copper consumption has been negatively impacted by the high prices.