Copper rod · buyers, suppliers and prices
Copper rod: verified suppliers and buyers
Copper rod, or wire rod, is copper drawn and rolled from cathode into a long coil, usually 8 mm thick, used to make wire and cable. Rod mills sell it, and wire drawers, cable makers and transformer makers buy it, priced as the LME plus a premium. On Copper Supply you can post a free requirement or offer and deal only with members who have passed an ID check.
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Post it freeHow copper rod is priced
Copper rod is priced as the LME plus a premium in US$ per tonne. The premium covers the regional cathode premium and the cost of turning cathode into rod, plus freight and packing. It is set by the mill or agreed in yearly contracts, and differs by region and grade. Oxygen-free rod usually costs more than ETP rod.
The LME part is normally the average of the LME cash settlement over an agreed period, such as the month of shipment. Because rod is made from cathode, a rod price below the LME is not realistic.
Payment is usually by letter of credit at sight or cash against documents, and TT with known buyers. On Copper Supply you can price a rod listing as LME + US$/t, LME ± %, a fixed price, or open to offers.
Find a counterparty
Typical copper rod specification
- Size
- 8 mm diameter is standard; other sizes on request
- ETP rod
- Cu-ETP (CW004A / C11000), Cu typically 99.90% minimum, oxygen typically about 200 to 400 ppm
- Oxygen-free rod
- Cu-OF (CW008A / C10200), oxygen 10 ppm or less, often made by upcasting
- Conductivity
- Minimum 100% IACS (about 58 MS/m); good rod often tests higher
- Standards
- ASTM B49, EN 1977, or the buyer's specification
- Packing
- Coils of about 2 to 5 MT on pallets, wrapped against moisture
- Made from
- Grade A cathode, by continuous casting and rolling or by upcasting
Where it usually comes from
- India
- United Arab Emirates
- Türkiye
- South Africa
- Zambia
- Poland
- Germany
Where it usually goes
- Nigeria
- Kenya
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Vietnam
- Ghana
- Tanzania
Documents you'll see
- SCO or FCO naming the mill, grade and standard
- LOI or ICPO from the buyer
- SPA
- Mill test certificate for each lot
- Packing list with coil numbers and weights
- Independent inspection: SGS, Bureau Veritas or similar
- Certificate of origin
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of lading
Red flags
- Copper rod priced below the LME
- A mill test certificate with no mill name, or the same round numbers for every lot
- A seller who says the rod is made from cathode but cannot name the mill
- Full payment demanded before loading
- Refusal of independent inspection or sample testing
How Copper Supply works
- Step 1Post freeSay what you buy or sell: product, tonnage, price basis, delivery terms. Fraud checks run before it goes live.
- Step 2Matching traders hear in minutesMembers who trade that product get an email as soon as your listing is live, and every Monday in the market report.
- Step 3Talk only to checked peopleNobody can message you until they've passed an ID check. You see what we checked and choose who to talk to.
- Step 4Run the deal in one roomNCNDA, LOI/ICPO, offers, SPA, IMFPA and signatures in one private deal room. Run any document through a fraud check before money moves.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Questions people ask
What is copper rod?
Copper rod, also called wire rod or drawing stock, is copper cast and rolled from cathode into long coils, usually 8 mm thick. Wire and cable makers draw it into finer wire.
How is copper rod priced?
As the LME price plus a premium in US$ per tonne. The premium covers the cathode premium, the cost of making rod, packing and freight. Oxygen-free rod usually costs more than ETP rod.
What is the difference between ETP and oxygen-free copper rod?
ETP (electrolytic tough pitch) rod contains a small, controlled amount of oxygen and is used for most wire and cable. Oxygen-free rod has 10 ppm oxygen or less and is used where higher purity or better performance in welding or fine drawing is needed.
Who buys copper rod?
Cable makers, wire drawers, magnet wire and transformer makers, and traders. Many cable makers in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia import rod because they have no rod mill of their own.
What conductivity should copper rod have?
Standard ETP rod must reach at least 100% IACS, about 58 MS/m, under standards such as ASTM B49. Good rod often tests a little higher. Test samples at an independent lab before you accept a lot.
Is copper rod below the LME price real?
No. Rod is made from cathode, so it costs the LME price plus a premium. An offer below the LME is either not rod, not the grade claimed, or not real.
Guides
Documents2 min read
Copper cathode grades: what "Grade A" and 99.99% really mean
The standards behind Grade A cathode, why purity claims on concentrate and ore can be impossible, and what to put in the contract.
Read the guideChecking people2 min read
How to verify a copper seller before you send anything
Everyone says they have stock. Five checks that separate sellers who control copper from people forwarding someone else's offer.
Read the guidePayment3 min read
Payment terms that actually close copper deals
Most deals die on payment, not price. The structures that work in African copper, the ones that never do, and how to bridge the gap between test-first buyers and pay-first sellers.
Read the guideDocuments2 min read
Every document in a copper deal, in the order you will meet them
NCNDA, IMFPA, LOI, ICPO, SCO, FCO, SPA, SKR, COO, SGS, BL. What each one is for, who issues it, and what it can't prove.
Read the guide
Copper countries
Other copper products
Looking for copper rod?
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