The production of wiring and wiring devices in Hungary increased by 16.7% y-o-y in the January to May 2011 period. Hungarian manufacturers' total sales of wiring and wiring devices increased by 18.5% y-o-y, mainly due to a substantial increase of 36.2% in sales on the domestic market. Sales on export markets increased by a more modest 15.6%, according to Hungary's Central Statistical Office.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Chinese production of copper semis amounted to 1,054,000t in June 2011, representing a 17.9% y-o-y increase. The total for H1 2011 currently stands at 5,149,000t, up 17.7% y-o-y.

According to sources from the State Grid Corporation of China, meetings have been held to start a new round of projects to upgrade rural power grids. In July 2010, a former head of National Energy Administration said that the budget for the new round of projects would be over RMB200B. Two thirds of the total budget would be used for the purchase of transformers, electric wire, power cable, towers, poles, and associated products. The national grid area will cover 26 provinces and will serve 667 million people in rural areas (about 80% of the rural population).

Leader Universal Holdings Bhd expects its wire and cable business to benefit from increased demand as a result of stronger activity in the domestic and overseas infrastructure industry. Demand is expected to stem mainly from Asia and Australia, and also from reconstruction projects in New Zealand and Japan. Currently, orders amount to RM800M, with one-third coming from overseas markets. The company also realised strong demand from the Middle East. In the financial year ended 31st December 2010, the company recorded a turnover of RM2.49B, an increase of 27.6% compared to RM1.95B in 2009.

Nexans, a leading cable manufacturer, has announced plans to develop an underground Extra High Voltage (EHV) cable manufacturing plant in the US, which is expected to be commissioned in the summer of 2013. The company also intends to extend its submarine High Voltage (HV) activities. Investment is expected to amount to US$80M. Nexans hopes that the facilities will allow it to meet the growing demand from the EHV and HV cable market in the US.

Amer International Group has signed an agreement with the local government of Wuwei County in Chaohu, Anhui Province, to build a 250,000t/y copper rod plant in Wuwei. Fixed-asset investment in the project is reportedly RMB2.5B. Once in operation, the plant will be the biggest of its kind in Asia.

According to the China Nonferrous Industry Association (CNIA), China's copper fabricating capacity will increase from 12Mt/y today to 16Mt/y in 2015. In 2010, China's fabricating capacity was 12Mt and output was 10Mt. By 2015, CNIA forecasts an additional copper fabricating capacity of 1.5Mt of copper wire, 1.2Mt of copper plate and 450,000t of copper tube.

Data released by the Japan Copper and Brass Association showed that copper semis output rose to 72,328t in May 2011, a 2.4% m-o-m and 0.1% y-o-y increase. Production was supported by strong demand from energy efficient air conditioner makers, who raised production ahead of the peak demand season. This compensated for weak demand from the semiconductor and automotive sectors.

According to data released by the Japanese Electric Wire and Cable Makers' Association, copper wire and cable shipments totalled 51,200t in May 2011, up by 3.0% y-o-y, the first y-o-y increase in three months. Nonetheless, May shipments experienced an 8.9% m-o-m fall and remained the third lowest for May in 35 years. Japanese exports of copper wire and cable have been affected by China's economic slowdown and domestic demand has been impacted by the decline in the automotive industry.

It has been reported that Japanese smelters plan a 21% y-o-y reduction in output in 2011. The reduction is caused primarily by consequences of the 11th March earthquake. The Onahama plant in Fukushima, which produces 300,000t/y has caused particular disruptions to production following a three-month shutdown.

It has been reported that Chinese Guangxi Nanguo Copper Co. Ltd.'s 150,000t/y copper smelting project was approved by experts on 10th June 2011. The project will be built in Guangxi-ASEAN Youth Industrial Park in Fusui County of Chongzuo City at a cost of RMB3.6B. However, before development is allowed to proceed, approval is required from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China. A decision is expected to be announced in the imminent future.

Chinese Zhengwei International Group Co. Ltd. has confirmed that it will undertake a 250,000t/y copper wirerod project in Wuwei County of Anhui Province. Another Chinese copper semis producer, Anhui Xinke New Materials Co. Ltd., has announced plans for a 120,000t/y copper wirerod project. The project will take two years to develop at a cost of RMB665.6M.

Chinese imports of copper and copper semi-finished products contracted by 3% m-o-m to 254,738t in May 2011, according to customs statistics.  The figure was also down by 36% from the same period a year ago.  Import volumes were below the expectations of market participants who had predicted that a narrowing arbitrage between import costs and Chinese prices would lead to an increase in imports.

Japanese Furukawa Electric Co. plans to begin exporting copper power cable from its Shenyang production plant in China to the US and Europe from September 2011. So far, the company has been providing cables for the Chinese market only. It was reported that the quality of cables has improved sufficiently to be exported to industrialised countries. The company hopes to achieve annual sales of US$125M to industrialised countries in the next five years. The company expects strong demand from sustainable sources of energy.

Mueller Industries Inc., the largest copper alloy rod, bar and section and copper tube producer in the US, expressed interest in expanding their production facilities as well as diversifying their product range. Mueller has placed a preliminary non-binding bid letter for the 100% purchase of unnamed copper producing assets based in Reading, Pennsylvania, owned by Industrias Unidas SA de CV and its subsidiary, United Copper Industries Inc. (UCI). Mueller has allocated US$35-50M in cash for the purchase. The company has also expressed interest in buying an electrical building wire manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas.

It was reported that equipment installation at Jiangxi Copper Corporation's (JCC) 100,000t/y copper plate and strip project has been completed. The project began in March 2011, and throughout the installation process, the plant produced 1,000t of copper plate and strip, of which 900t have been sold. JCC is a leading Chinese copper producer and fabricator.

Chinese Henan Longhui Copper Co. Ltd. has confirmed that its copper and copper alloy tube and copper pipe project is underway and is expected to be completed by June 2011. The operation is expected to produce 90,000t/y of copper and copper alloy tube, including large-calibre copper tube and corrosion-resisting copper alloy tube, and 100,000t/y of copper pipe. The project will be completed at a cost of RMB1B and is expected to generate RMB10B in sales revenue and RMB500M in pre-tax profit. The company, which is located in the Mengzhuang Industrial zone of Hui county in Henan province, produced 380,000t of copper tube in 2010 and generated RMB23.5B in sales revenue.

Chinese Xiangguang copper smelter has announced the completion of its 400,000t/y refined copper project in Shandong Province. The project was undertaken in two stages, with the first having started in 2005. The company expects that future capacity may reach as much as 600,000t/y.

Chinalco Luoyang Copper Co. Ltd., a Chinese high-precision copper plate and strip producer, plans to raise production by 18% y-o-y to 160,000-170,000t in 2011. The expected increase is the result of a capacity expansion through the completion of a 105,000t/y production line. Total capacity now amounts to 210,000t/y, however, production remains suppressed due to ongoing testing at the US$349M new plant in Luoyang City, Central Henan province. In 2010, Chinalco Luoyang Copper Co. Ltd.'s production was 140,000t of copper plate and strip.

Japanese Yokowo plans to construct a US$12.3M wiring harness and automotive communication equipment factory outside of Hanoi, Vietnam. Operations at the 10,000 sq. m plant are due to commence in August 2012. The move to Vietnam will allow Yokowo to diversify geographical risk, benefit from lower labour costs, form links with Vietnam's growing automotive sector, and utilise advantageous trade agreements between Vietnam and the US.