Chinese copper smelters turn to sulphuric acid profits as traditional processing fees hit record lows
Chinese copper smelters now rely on sulphuric acid profits as processing fees collapse. Analysts warn that byproduct volatility poses risks to production.
Insights:
Ukrainian 
UA drone strikes on the Astrakhan gas processing plant and the subsequent halt in Russian sulphur exports have triggered a sharp rise in global sulphuric acid prices. This price surge has materially boosted profits for copper smelters in China 
CN, fundamentally altering the economics of the industry by shifting significant profit into the volatile sulphuric acid byproduct market just as traditional processing fees have collapsed.
UA drone strikes on the Astrakhan gas processing plant and the subsequent halt in Russian sulphur exports have triggered a sharp rise in global sulphuric acid prices. This price surge has materially boosted profits for copper smelters in China CN, fundamentally altering the economics of the industry by shifting significant profit into the volatile sulphuric acid byproduct market just as traditional processing fees have collapsed.
