The market demand for copper turned parts continues to grow. In 2023, China's electronics and electrical industry consumed approximately 187,000 tons of free-cutting copper, with new energy vehicles, 5G communications, and high-end equipment manufacturing being the core driving forces.
With the increasing demand from emerging industries for high-performance conductive, thermally conductive, and precision structural components, copper turned parts are showing strong growth potential in several high-value-added fields.
Market Size and Growth Trends
In 2023, China's electronics and electrical industry consumed approximately 187,000 tons of free-cutting copper, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%, accounting for 42.3% of the country's total free-cutting copper consumption.
It is projected that by 2030, the production of new energy vehicles will exceed 25 million units, driving the use of over 300 copper connectors and terminals per vehicle on average, with approximately 60% manufactured using free-cutting copper alloys.
The construction of 5G base stations continues to advance. By the end of 2024, China had built 4.2 million 5G base stations, and the copper consumption per base station is expected to increase by 15%–20%, significantly boosting the demand for copper machined parts in high-frequency signal transmission components.
Data centers are expanding rapidly. It is projected that by 2025, the scale of data center racks in China will reach 8 million racks, with approximately 12–15 tons of free-cutting copper terminals and heat dissipation structural components used per 10,000 racks, forming a stable incremental market.
