春节淡市铜价“韧”字当先：战略价值筑底，静待节后春雷

Core Viewpoint - The copper market is showing resilience despite macroeconomic pressures, with various factors influencing its price dynamics, including supply constraints, demand fluctuations, and geopolitical risks [1][2][5]. Macroeconomic Factors - The U.S. non-farm payroll data for January showed an increase of 130,000 jobs, significantly exceeding the market expectation of 70,000, leading to a drop in the unemployment rate from 4.4% to 4.3%, which has altered interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve [1][2]. Supply Dynamics - The supply side remains tight, with major overseas mines still in a phase of resuming operations, and domestic copper concentrate processing fees dropping to around -50 USD, indicating a scarcity of copper resources [3][4]. - The Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the second-largest copper producer, is expected to increase its copper exports by nearly 10% to 3.4 million tons in 2025, providing some relief to the global copper market, but overall supply remains constrained [3]. Demand Trends - Demand has slowed down as the Chinese New Year approaches, with downstream enterprises reducing procurement activities, leading to an increase in social inventory of electrolytic copper to around 330,000 tons, a high for the past five years [4]. - The long-term demand outlook remains positive due to structural needs driven by clean energy transitions and advancements in artificial intelligence [4]. Geopolitical Influences - Geopolitical factors have significantly impacted copper prices, with frequent mining accidents and operational disruptions, alongside escalating geopolitical tensions, heightening concerns over copper supply [5][6]. - Strategic initiatives by countries to secure copper resources, such as China's proposal to enhance its copper resource reserve system and the U.S. plan for a $12 billion "stockpile initiative," are expected to support long-term copper price stability [5][6]. Market Outlook - In the short term, copper prices are expected to consolidate due to low trading activity and economic slowdown during the holiday season, with strong support anticipated in the range of 98,000 to 103,000 RMB per ton [7]. - Long-term trends suggest that the tight supply of global copper resources and increasing structural demand will likely lead to a continued upward trajectory in copper prices, with potential for a new rally post-holiday [7].