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Olin Brass, a division of Global Brass & Copper LLC since Global's $400 million purchase of Olin Corp. in November, is looking to increase product prices in response to rapidly increasing costs and softening demand from end-user markets. The price rises are one aspect of a wider re-organisation by Global in an attempt to offset rising raw material and energy costs. According to the company these initiatives have led to productivity gains of over 10 percent, freeing up significant working capital. However Global comments, "our input costs keep going up at such a rate we simply can't be profitable despite cost savings that we've put in place. We need to receive more for our product." Olin is also being hit by depressed end-user markets. As the slowdown in residential construction activities following the sub-prime mortgage crisis continues, demand in the fabrication sector remains low. The US Department of Commerce reported a 3.3% drop in housing starts in May, with building permits for future construction declining to an annual rate of 969,000. Despite the somewhat bleak outlook the falling dollar against a basket of foreign currencies has lead some copper and brass business that was moved offshore to return to the U.S. lately. "It's not a torrent of products coming back, but whereas in 2001 through 2003 we saw an exodus of business from here to China, this has slowed if not balanced out with some things coming back" according to Olin Brass. Olin brass is a manufacturer and distributor of copper and copper-alloy sheet, strip, plate, foil, and fabricated components in headquartered in Illinois, USA.

Mitsubishi Electric Metecs plans to set up a joint venture in Suzhou, China with Denkishizai and Nippon Steel Trading. The joint venture will produce copper alloy strips which will then be supplied to Japanese and Taiwanese electronic parts makers in China. The estimated production is around 150t/m to 160t/m. Mitsubishi Electric Metecs will hold 75% of the new company, which Denkishizai will hold 20% and Nippon Steel will hold 5%. Previously Mitsubishi Electric Metecs set up another JV in China in 2004 with Denkishizai in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou JV now produces some 150t/m to 160t/m of copper alloy products.

The Japan Copper & Brass Association reported Japanese copper rolled product import fell by 2.5% y-o-y to 50,057t in the fiscal year ending March 2008. While volume of import was still high, it has fallen y-o-y the first time since the fiscal year ending March 2002. Copper tube import decreased by 19% y-o-y to 10,661t, partly due to the slowdown of new housing starts after the Japanese imposed new building standard law. Biggest importers to Japan are reported to be South Korea, China, Germany, Taiwan and North America.

According to the Japan Copper and Brass Association, total production of copper and copper alloy semis fell by 4.1% y-o-y to 72,770t in July. Output also contracted by 0.5% m-o-m in July, a second consecutive monthly decline. The fall is attributed in large part to the struggling automotive sector, which has been strongly impacted by the 11th March disaster.

Production for domestic shipments contracted by 6.6% y-o-y to reach 51,112t, whilst output for export markets fell more rapidly in January, reaching 8,898t after a 23.1% y-o-y decline (this however, was narrower than the December drop in exports of 30.7% y-o-y). Copper strip still represented the most heavily produced brass mill semi-fabricated product (27.7% of overall production in gross weight) but output decreased by 11.3% y-o-y, amounting to 16,600t in January. This was principally attributed to weak interconnector demand, the impact of the flooding in Thailand and the highly appreciated yen affecting the export market. Copper tube output decreased by 14.5% y-o-y to 9,750t in January, on weak demand from air conditioner manufacturers caused by bad weather and a slow world economy. Brass bar production fell by 7.7% y-o-y but rose by 900t since December to reach 14,206t in January. The change was attributed to improving demand from the domestic automotive and plumbing sectors.

Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics reported that despite the recent liquidity tightening in China, their copper demand expectations remain optimistic. The company, which uses copper plate and strip, said that copper demand will peak in March and April, when Chinese copper fabricators traditionally increase production. It was reported that Chinese copper semis manufacturers will see demand for their products rise after the Lunar New Year (February 14th).

German integrated copper producer Aurubis reported a 47% y-o-y increase in net income to €258M in H1 FY2010-2011 (1st Oct 2010 - 31st Mar 2011), up from €161M. H1 revenue increased by 42% y-o-y from €4.5B to €6.5B. This outcome was mainly the result of higher copper prices and continued demand for copper caused by the global economic recovery. However, demand from China steadied in Q2 due to a tighter credit environment, as did demand from Europe, due to increasing economic instability. The wire and cable industry performed well, experiencing strong demand from the automotive and domestic appliance sectors. Likewise, copper strip was supported by demand from the coinage as well as special material sectors. On the other hand, copper tube and flat rolled products struggled to recover as a result of strong competition from lower cost substitutes.

Olin Brass Corporation, the US based manufacturer of copper and copper-alloy flat rolled products and fabricated components, said that the top challenges facing brass mills are weak end-use demand, volatile copper prices and overcapacity. The company estimates that the average capacity utilisation rate is just 55-60% in the US. In addition, it expects consumption of copper strip products in the US to total 829Mlbs in 2011, down from 1600Mlbs in 2000.

Antaike reported that most Chinese copper semis fabricators orders decreased in June 2011 from the previous month. Copper commercial tube, copper wire and copper wirerod output rose 10% y-o-y in H1 2011. However, output growth of copper sheet and strip in the same period was weaker. Semis fabricators' profits fell attributed to high finance costs and high copper prices. These factors have also affected refined copper consumption.