Japan Cu Smelters to Increase Premium by $10 for 2010

Japanese copper smelters are concluding the price negotiation with Asian buyers to increase copper ingot premium by US$ 10 per tonne for 2010 shipment from 2009. The smelters aim to increase the premium by around 15% or US $ 10 compared with the shipment in 2009, as same increase by Corporaci?n Nacional del Cobre de Chile to Asian buyers. The price negotiation apparently finished with around 30% of the buyers.

Some copper users in Asia are reluctant to agree to increase the premium by US$ 10 per tonne for 2010 from 2009 under uncertainty for future demand. However, Japanese smelters seem to get the premium increase for almost all buyers. The premium would increase to US$ 74 to South Korea and to US$ 75 to Taiwan.

Chinese users reportedly reject CODELCO’s US$ 85 per tonne of premium for 2010 compared with US$ 75 in 2009. However, one Japanese smelter source expects Chinese users would accept US$ 85 of premium with actual discount in other condition.

The users’ procurement volume for 2010 would stay as same as 2009 when the demand is unforeseeable while the smelters expected some volume increase in the annual contract.