Asia Copper Week
Asia Copper Week in Shanghai: Overview and Key Information Asia Copper Week (ACW) is one of the world’s most important annual gatherings for the global copper industry. It serves as a major networking and deal-making platform, particularly focused on the Asian (and especially Chinese) copper market. The event is traditionally held in Shanghai every November and brings together miners, smelters, traders, consumers, analysts, and policymakers from around the world
Organizing committee
• Center for Copper and Mining Studies (CESCO) — a leading independent organization based in Santiago, Chile.
• China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) — the national industry body representing China’s copper sector.
About
Main Events During Asia Copper Week The week typically includes four flagship components:
• CEO Reception Dinner (invitation-only)
• World Copper Conference Asia (co-organized with CRU Group) — the core conference with presentations and panels
• CEO Summit
• Asia Copper Dinner — the grand networking finale
Additional side events often include: • ICA Day (International Copper Association) focusing on innovation and applications • LME market updates • Informal negotiations and bilateral meetings 2025 Edition (Recent Event)
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Dates: November 22–26, 2025 (some sources mention 24–28 November)
Location: Shanghai (venues included Pudong Shangri-La and others)
Key Highlights and Takeaways:
01
Intense negotiations on Treatment and Refining Charges (TC/RC) for 2026 copper concentrate long-term contracts. The benchmark remained unresolved by the end of the week, with expectations of record-low fees due to tight concentrate supply and expanding Chinese smelting capacity.
03
Topics included copper outlook after record prices, value chain shifts, downstream strategies, green transition, data centers, EVs, and the role of recycling.
02
Discussions on a potential CSPT (China Smelter Purchasing Team) smelter production cut of over 10% in 2026 to address low processing fees. • Market sentiment was generally upbeat but cautious. Analysts (including from CRU) projected a broadly balanced refined copper market in 2026, with regional uncertainties, policy risks, and volatility from high prices.
04
Strong focus on China’s dominant position in smelting and its influence on global benchmarks. The 2025 event reinforced Shanghai’s role as the epicenter of copper market discussions, especially for long-term contract benchmarking between miners (e.g., from Chile) and Chinese smelters.
Upcoming: Asia Copper Week 2026
Dates: November 17–19, 2026
Location: Shanghai
The official site invites the industry to “meet again in Shanghai” and highlights continued focus on building bridges across the global copper value chain.
Official website: https://asiacopperweek.com/
Why Asia Copper Week Matters
It is the premier platform
for setting or influencing the annual TC/RC benchmark, which affects processing economics worldwide.
Provides deep insights into
China’s copper demand, supply challenges, and policy directions — directly relevant to the topics we discussed earlier (consumption, EVs, power infrastructure, data centers, etc.).
Excellent opportunity
for networking with Chinese players (Jiangxi Copper, Zijin, Minmetals, etc.) and international majors.
If you are planning to attend, sponsor, or cover the event on your website, the World Copper Conference Asia (part of ACW) is usually the most content-rich part with public agendas and presentations.