China's metals industry posts record first quarter profits as prices surge

9 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 27

Profits for smelting and pressing of non-ferrous metals in China more than doubled to 142 billion yuan ($21 billion) in Q1, the highest since at least 2016.
The surge is attributed to soaring aluminum and copper prices, significantly boosting the sector's financial performance and marking a decade-high for quarterly earnings.
This strong start to 2026 highlights the metals industry's sensitivity to global commodity price shifts and underscores China's key role in the international metals market.

As China's metals profits soar, are its smelters heading for a crash amid a raw materials squeeze?

Beyond the record profits, what is the hidden environmental cost of China's metals production boom?

Is China's dominance of the metals value chain the new blueprint for industrial sovereignty?

Can China turn its massive aluminum overcapacity into a strategic battery for its green energy grid?

How will escalating Middle East tensions and shipping disruptions reshape the global aluminum market?

With copper prices nearing all-time highs, is the green energy transition becoming unaffordable?