https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Copper|Logistics|Mining|Products
Copper|Logistics|Mining|Products
copper|logistics|mining|products

European copper smelter Aurubis is rejecting low concentrate offers

26th November 2025

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

Europe's biggest copper smelter Aurubis is comfortable rejecting lowball offers for copper concentrate, an executive said on Wednesday, as tense negotiations over annual contracts for the feedstock take place against record negative processing fees.

Aurubis has turned down bad deals even this year, according to Tim Kurth, COO, custom smelting and products at the company told Reuters on Wednesday at the World Copper Conference Asia 2025 in Shanghai.

"In Europe, we say 'no', definitely," he said. "We have really the choice even these days to reject the one or the other deal when it's truly too extreme or negative."

Miners, smelters and traders from around the world are gathering this week in Shanghai where eyes are on annual negotiations between smelters in China, the world's largest producer, and Chilean copper mining heavyweight Antofagasta.

Kurth said that the benchmark price is becoming less relevant in comparison to other factors like logistics or financing although it can't be entirely discarded.

"I don't think that the benchmark is really reflecting the market," he said.

"To use one deal ... as the benchmark and knowing what is all in and what kind of extreme positions are in this benchmark, this is something that we are always confronting in our discussions."

Edited by Reuters

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comments

Projects

Location map of the Bifrost project
Bifrost project, Denmark
Updated 3 hours ago By: Sheila Barradas

Showroom

The Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa
Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa

The Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa was established to develop sustainable, internationally competitive carbon steel tube and pipe...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Sweet-Orr
Sweet-Orr

Sweet-Orr, established in 1871, is a global leader in superior protective workwear, known for quality, innovation, and performance.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.185 0.283s - 186pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now