Global demand for copper metal, that is produced from refined copper and recycled scrap, is projected to advance 4.2 per cent per year through to 2019 to 36 million metric tonnes, valued at $261 billion, according to a recent trend.

The ‘World Copper’ report, a new study from the Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm, said the robust gains in building construction expenditures are expected to boost the use of copper wire, tube, and other mill products in applications such as building wire and plumbing.  

Increased infrastructure investment, particularly in developing countries, will further benefit copper suppliers as updates to national power grids drive the production of wire and cable, it said.  

In addition, advances in global manufacturing output are expected to bolster the use of copper metal in transportation equipment, industrial machinery, domestic appliances, and other durable goods.  Nevertheless, competition from alternative materials, such as plastic pipe in plumbing applications, will restrain faster overall growth.

Carolyn Zulandt, analyst, said: “China drives the global copper metal market, accounting for more than two-fifths of world demand last year. The country’s massive building construction and electrical and electronic sectors consume huge volumes of copper.”

Strong domestic output of motor vehicles, industrial machinery, and household appliances further boosts copper demand in China, said the report.

India is forecast to register the fastest gains of any major copper metal market through 2019.  Robust increases in domestic building construction activity, driven in part by an expanding urban population and government investment, will underpin gains in local copper consumption.  

Advances in construction spending are also projected to fuel copper demand in North America, particularly in the US, where building construction activity will significantly accelerate from the pace of the 2009-2014 period, it said.

More moderate increases in copper metal demand are forecast for Western Europe, where construction and manufacturing output will climb at rates below the global average, it added. - TradeArabia News Service