Lower Copper Surplus Pushes Prices Up

 | May 25, 2016 09:50AM ET

Copper prices edged up on Tuesday as International Copper Study Group reported the global copper fell in February to 24 thousand tonnes from 51 thousand tonnes in January. In the first two months of 2016 the global surplus was 75 thousand tonnes which is far below the surplus of 134 thousand tonnes in the same period of 2015. Will the copper prices continue advancing?

Global copper demand is forecasted to be of 22.3mln tonnes this year with China accounting for 10.3mln tonnes, Eurozone for 3.3mln tonnes, US for 1.8mln tonnes and Japan for 1mln tonnes. Demand from China has a huge impact on copper prices. Market participants believe the demand may rise after China’s Ministry of Finance said the local authorities of China have to raise spending and make a hole in budget funds to stimulate economic growth. The next significant economic data are to come in China on June 1 – the manufacturing PMI.