February copper strip companies' operating rate decreased by 28.04% month-on-month; March is expected to increase by 32.31% month-on-month.

In February, the overall operating rate of copper plate strip enterprises was 41.98%, down 28.04 percentage points month-over-month and down 14.49 percentage points year-over-year. Affected by the Spring Festival holiday, copper plate strip enterprises had fewer actual production days, capacity release was constrained, and the operating rate showed a seasonal decline. This is considered a normal performance during the Spring Festival period and overall meets market expectations. In March, the operating rate in the copper plate strip industry is expected to be 74.28%, up 32.31 percentage points month-over-month and up 5.15 percentage points year-over-year. According to SMM, after the holiday, companies’ orders recovered fairly well; after the copper price’s focus eased at the beginning of the month, orders were released quickly. Terminal demand across power, home appliances, new energy vehicles, electronics, and more showed positive performance. Most companies hold optimistic expectations for orders after the holiday, and both orders and production scheduling point to peak-season levels. (SMM)