Chinese Copper Supplies Swell as Output Climbs to Record Levels

Chinese smelters continue to churn out record quantities of copper, swelling stockpiles and threatening to slow the metal’s powerful gains.

Refined copper output is expected to rise to almost 1.2 million tons this month, according to a poll of producers by Shanghai Metals Market covering most of the sector. That’s a 4.6% increase from February and a record high for the survey, putting year-to-date output growth at 10%.