Competition in copper products may intensify: Aurubis

Dec 06, 2012 | 02:05 PM | Mark Burton

Tags  Aurubis, flat-rolled products, European copper demand, cathode sales, copper premiums, Stefan Boel, Luvata Metal Bulletin, Mark Burton

LONDON — Competition for copper products in the European market may intensify next year amid static demand and overcapacity, Aurubis AG executive board member Stefan Boel told AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin.

Product demand has declined over the past year, and Aurubis expects orders to stabilize at these lower levels moving into 2013.

“What we see is that it might be that the cake has shrunk a bit in the past year, and it might be a similar size next year. But given the overcapacity which is there, everybody is competing for volumes, and that might intensify,” Boel told Metal Bulletin.
Hamburg, Germany-based Aurubis made strides into high-volume copper products markets with the acquisition of London-based Luvata UK Ltd.’s flat-rolled products business in 2011 for €200 million to €220 million ($285.4 million to $314 million), complementing its activities in smaller, higher-margin markets such as high-performance alloys and strip products. ....