FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY— Following an upturn in 2004, U.S. copper usage dropped to 7,471 million pounds in 2005. The 2005 level is a 6.2% decrease from the 2004’s 7,962 million pounds. Exports of mill products in 2005 rose for the second year in a row, up 8.0% to 895 million pounds. Imports, at 1,169 million pounds, were nearly constant, edging downward 0.3% from 2004.
U.S. copper mine production dropped by 2.6% to 2,514 million pounds from the 2004 level of 2,580 million pounds, according to “Annual Data 2006 – Copper Supply and Consumption, 1985-2005,” published this month by the Copper Development Association Inc. The report covers the industry’s vital statistics from mine to end-use market over the past two decades and may be viewed at www.copper.org under Market Data.
Electrowon copper production was down 5.0% at 1,224 million pounds, and smelter production at 1,154 million pounds declined 3.4%. Total production of refined copper at 2,770 million pounds dipped 3.8% from 2004 levels, and consumption of refined copper at 5,004 million pounds was down 5.8%. The direct consumption of scrap was down marginally by 0.9% at 2,014 million pounds.
Building construction (3,678 million pounds) continued to be the largest end-use market for copper products, accounting for nearly half, 49.2%, of total U.S. usage. Electrical and electronic products (1,526 million pounds) accounted for 20.4% of total usage; transportation equipment (803 million pounds), 10.7%; consumer and general products (798 million pounds), 10.7%; and industrial machinery and equipment (667 million pounds), 9.0%.
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Note to Editors: See attached for composition of end-use markets. Readers may obtain CD-ROM copies of “Annual Data 2006 – Copper Supply and Consumption, 1985-2005,” for $10.00 each from the Copper Development Association Inc., 260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, or by calling 212-251-7200.
Composition of End-use Markets
Building Construction: building wire, plumbing and heating, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration, builders hardware, architecture.
Electrical and Electronic Products: power utilities, telecommunications, business electronics, lighting and wiring devices.
Industrial Machinery and Equipment: in-plant equipment, industrial valves and fittings, non-electrical instruments, off-highway vehicles, heat exchangers.
Transportation Equipment: automobiles, trucks and buses, railroads, marine, aircraft and aerospace.
Consumer and General Products: appliances, cord sets, military and commercial ordnance, consumer electronics, fasteners and closures, coinage, utensils and cutlery, miscellaneous.
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