SHANGHAI — China’s copper imports fell in February due to a combination of poor demand and the Chinese New Year holiday.

Imports of unwrought copper and fabricated copper products totaled 298,102 tonnes, down 15.1 percent from the previous month and 38.5 percent lower than a year earlier, according to preliminary customs data.

Premiums for copper shipped into Shanghai have held steady at $40 to $70 per tonne thus far this year, with deals remaining thin.

Copper scrap imports totaled 300,000 tonnes last month, down 21.1 percent from January and 25 percent below a year earlier.

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin.