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With a view to cutting operating costs, Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. are planning to combine their copper and alloy businesses. The new joint venture will consist of equal shares of the two companies and will be Japan's biggest brass strip maker. Major end-use applications include terminals and connectors for cars and electronic components. According to the plan, the joint venture will cease some sales units and purchase raw materials on a joint basis. It is anticipated that annual cost savings will amount to 1B yen (US$10M).

"The city of Albuquerque is moving forward with a plan to use more aluminum wire to deter copper thieves."

Power cable producer Jiangsu Zhongchao Cable plans to acquire three industry peers through a private placement, reports claim. Zhongchao Cable plans to issue a maximum of 68 million shares at not less than RMB13.43 (US$2.10) per share in order to raise a maximum of RMB900M (US$142.M) to acquire 51% stakes in Yufang Cable, Mingzhu Cable and Xizhou Magnet Wires, and to set up an operations centre in Shanghai. According to the filing, controlling shareholder, Jiangsu Zhongchao Group, plans to spend between RMB100M and RMB300M (US$15.9M and US$47.6M) for the private placement.

Encore Wire Corporation, a leading copper cable-maker for the building sector, has submitted plans to build a 202,000-square-foot facility in McKinney, TX to house aluminium wire production lines. The plans include the employment of 100 staff and the value of the project, which is reported to be $25M. Of Encore Wire's total cable production, it is estimated that 5% of sales revenue are from cable containing aluminium conductor.

"An eleventh-hour adjustment for copper will allow miners such as Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold and Newmont Mining to continue shipments. The regulation will allow exports of copper concentrate above or equal to 15% metal content. About 66 companies that have plans to process domestically will be allowed to export as well, Jero Wacik, energy and mines minister, told local reporters in Indonesia. "

Mitsui Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper, a Japanese brass and copper alloy strip fabricator, plans to produce an average of 5,450t/m in H2 FY2010-2011, ending in March 2011. The company holds client orders of several hundred tonnes until the end of 2010 and considers that demand will be steady. However, it remains cautious about demand from the automotive industry as it may decline in early 2011. According to production plans, H2 FY2010-2011 output in Saitama, Japan, will amount to 3,600t/m whilst that in Mie, Japan, to 1,850t/m. Actual production in H1 FY2010-2011 reached 5,400t/m (3,600t/m in Saitama and 1,800t/m in Mie). It was reported that the automotive industry accounts for 45% of the company's output. Automotive makers are expected to cut their output by 20%, now that the Japanese government's eco-friendly car subsidy scheme has ended. As a result, automotive component makers are anticipated to cut production by 5-10%. To respond to that possible downturn, Mitsui Sumitomo Metal Mining plans to increase sales to consumer electronic product manufacturers.

The Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB) has recommended that the controversial Carmacks copper mine project can go ahead, providing that the Western Copper Corporation (TSX: WRN) complies with 148 conditions to mitigate potential adverse impacts. The tiny community of Carmacks with a year-round population of 500 is still considered an important service center for mining and for transportation, a century after it was a popular rest stop for the Yukon gold rush. However, members of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation want Western Copper to negotiate a better environmental engineering solution as part of an Impacts Benefits Agreement with the community. Located 38km northwest of the Village of Carmacks and 192 km north of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, the Carmacks copper project is planned to be an open-pit operation that will yield about 14,000 tonnes of copper cathode annually. Western Copper has targeted production to begin during the fourth quarter of 2010. Among the comments and concerns raised with the YESAB were routing of mining-related traffic, the heap leach detoxification process, sludge management, heap leach liner performance, and the estimates of closure costs. Among the comments and concerns raised with the YESAB were routing of mining-related traffic, the heap leach detoxification process, sludge management, heap leach liner performance, and the estimates of closure costs. The YESAB Executive Committee said it was satisfied that: Western Copper adequately consulted with the First Nations in whose territory, and the residents of any community in which the project will be located or might have significant or socio-economic effects; The project proponent provided sufficient information in the project proposal to allow for the assessment of potentially significant effects; Significant adverse environmental or socio-economic project and cumulative effects identified within the scope of the scre

Mitsubishi Materials Corp. plans to invest in a copper mine in British Columbia by acquiring a 25% stake in Similco Mines Ltd, which owns rights to the mine. Production at the mine is planned to resume in 2011 after a break in operations since 1996, a result of the low copper prices prevailing at that time. With a view to redeveloping the mine, the overall investment is expected to reach Y30 billion. The annual capacity of the mine is estimated at about 150,000 tonnes and Mitsubishi Materials will have the right to the entire output. The investment project is based on the expected long-term demand growth in China and India.

BEIJING -- China, the world's largest metal consumer, discarded a plan to buy copper to support domestic smelters because producers are still profitable and inventories aren't high, government and company officials said.

In less than 7 years, Mercedes-Benz plans to ditch petroleum-powered vehicles from its lineup. Focusing on electric, fuel cell, and biofuels, the company is revving up research in alternative fuel sources and efficiency.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will outline its plan on Thursday for meeting its renewable energy targets that environmental groups cautiously welcome but others say is unrealistic.

Here is what we had in the initial KMC Futures trend. See also the alliance with GE.

Tokyo, Japan, Apr 25, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) plans to end production activities at JVC Manufacturing UK LTD. (JMUK) at the end of July 2008 as part of restructuring television business operations. JMUK has manufactured cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions and related products primarily for UK and other European markets as a UK subsidiary of JVC.

Emirates International Investment Company reveals ambitious Dhs1.8bn plan to establish six hi-tech cable factories globally

China's Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group Inc., which is 25%-owned by three foreign companies including Standard Chartered PLC ( STAN.LN), plans to raise CNY1.5 billion ($214.3 million) through a Shanghai listing, a company executive said Tuesday.