Group items tagged

The Italian association Assomet expects production of copper and copper alloy semis to fall by 2.4% in 2012, to 1.0Mt, mainly attributed to poor end-use demand, worsened by increases to housing and value-added taxes. Orders are erratic and the Italian copper semis production sector is currently operating at 50% capacity utilisation, whereas the copper alloy semis sector is slightly higher at 60%.

Assomet, the Italian non-ferrous metals association, released figures indicating that the output of copper and copper alloy semi fabricated products fell by 4.8% y-o-y to 1.1Mt in 2011. Copper semi-fabricated products output fell by 6.7% to 556,100t in 2011, while copper alloy semis production declined by 2.8% to 501,500t. The association noted that there was a sharp deterioration in demand in Q4 2011 as concerns grew about the country's debt.

Assomet, Italy's non-ferrous metals association, reported that domestic production of copper and copper alloy semi-finished products contracted 5.4% y-o-y in 2011 to reach a total yearly output of 1.051M tonnes. This was attributed to metal price volatility impacting clients' procurement activity in addition to substitution losses, which continues because of the ongoing European debt crisis and its implications upon consumers' price sensitivity. Assomet also added that pure copper metal products have and will be more negatively impacted than copper alloy semis due to a higher copper intensity. This led to a drop of about 8% y-o-y in copper semis output this year, reaching 549,000t and production is expected to fall by 3% y-o-y in 2012. Whereas copper alloy semis output declined by 3% in 2011, reaching 502,000t. Production is anticipated to hold at the same level in 2012.

According to Assomet, Italian copper and alloy semis output in 2009 will amount to 900,000-910,000 tonnes, down from earlier forecasts. Production in 2008 totalled 1.19 million tonnes. The association said that 2010 may see a slight recovery with output levels around 920,000-930,000 tonnes. Assomet had anticipated that copper and alloy semis output in 2009 and 2010 would reach 923,600 tonnes and 968,300 respectively. However, the association reviewed its forecasts after weaker-than-expected output in H2 2009. It was reported that for the nine months to September, copper and alloy semis output fell by 25.8% y-o-y to 685,000 tonnes.

Assomet, Italy's non-ferrous metals association, reported that the nation's output of copper and copper alloy semis declined by 2.4% y-o-y to 814,000t in the first three quarters of 2011. According to data obtained by Reuters, Q3 output alone fell by 5.8% y-o-y to 229,900t.