Chinese tube producers had a stronger finish to 2012 - 0 views
-
Matthew Wonnacott on 30 Jan 13A recent survey by the Shanghai Metals Market of 20 major Chinese copper tube producers, with a total capacity of 1.2Mt/y, showed that operating rates in December increased to 73.41%, up 2.29 percentage points from November. The survey cited increased production in China's air conditioner sector as a reason for the uptick in utilisation rates at tube producers. The release highlighted a separate survey of air conditioner manufacturers, which showed a pattern of inventory restocking, with finished inventories increasing for four straight months. The SMM survey also revealed that producer's inventories of raw materials for the production of copper tube had fallen to 12.78% of production in December, down 2.92 percentage points from November. The reason given was tighter credit conditions at the end of 2012.