China to tighten metal ore inspection; copper markets fear bump-up in production costs

China’s customs authorities are expected to tighten scrutiny over the iron and sulfur content of imported metal ores, sparking concerns among copper and gold industry players as such a move could add to production costs for smelters at a time when the market outlook is bleak, industry sources told S&P Global Commodity Insights Aug. 20. Market chatter indicated Chinese customs…China’s customs authorities are expected to tighten scrutiny over the iron and sulfur content of imported metal ores, sparking concerns among copper and gold industry players as such a move could add to production costs for smelters at a time when the market outlook is bleak, industry sources told S&P Global Commodity Insights Aug. 20. Market chatter indicated Chinese customs…Read More