What are the Chinese doing with the Copper

It was brought up during a meeting where I work that we can't get all the copper we need here in the states for manufacturing because China is buying it all up at a higher price than we can afford to pay. It was stated that China is getting more into the steel manufacturing and that is why they are buying up so much of the copper that there isn't enough available for us.

What are they using all the copper for?

I thought someone might know what uses of copper would make it suddenly in such demand.

Hmmm... Here is a shot in the dark. Radioactive waste disposal. Here is a link. Radioactive waste

I dont know if the Chinese are using it for this or not, here is a snippet of the article.

In an earlier article, Innovations described the properties that make copper an attractive candidate for containers for the permanent isolation of high-level radioactive waste in an underground repository. A companion article in this month's Innovations tells how Sweden expects to use such copper canisters. This article traces copper's role in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) waste management program. It explains why copper and copper alloys made it to a "short list" of several viable materials and why metals other than copper were ultimately selected.

So this is on possible reason, anyone have any ideas? Nice detective work interested, its this kind of critical thinking everyone needs to use. Non Internet real life deductions.

[edit on 2-11-2006 by LoneGunMan]

Copper has alot of uses:

Copper

One thing I did read is that in 1997, IBM started using copper instead of Aluminium in it's chips, as it is much better for conducting...

Or perhaps the Chinese need alot of plumbing doing...

Hard to say, really!

They're using it for power cables.

I think you might find this article helpful in what you're asking:

"In the last decade copper usage for power cables has increased by 13%, prompted by an upgrade program in rural areas, the economic development program in western China, a West-to-east power grid connection program, the industrialization and urbanization of China, and the upcoming Olympic games in 2008. Meanwhile, Li told the mining executives at the Cochilco seminar that copper usage in building wire has increased 14% annually during the same period because of a booming real estate industry, building code upgrades, and renovations and repairs in existing buildings."

www.mineweb.net...

[edit on 2-11-2006 by DJMessiah]

[edit on 2-11-2006 by DJMessiah]

Just a word.

Copper is one of the most important alloy metals in the world, as well as being the #1 conductor used in electrical wire for everything from power transmission to your house wiring and that of your car, as well. There are very few common metal alloys that do not contain copper and machining and tool grade steels are some of them. Brass is another alloy high in copper, and one cannot manufacturer modern firearms ammunition without brass, or bullets for military rifles without copper. This factor gets interesting when one understands that China has also recently bought out most of the world's current supply of Armory-grade steel. The later has had a grossly negative effect on the major firearms manufacturers in the US and some other parts of the world. (Understand that a number of these are also Defense Contractors.) This has caused gross cutbacks, and even cessations in the manufacturing of new guns. Remington Arms, Winchester, and Colt are three of the most affected companies.

One of China's major exports is Firearms, and notably the Kalashnikov Rifle--the most prolific Military Arm ever built. Of note also is that the most common of Kalashnikov’s in the US is the AK-47 and its variants, and the SKS. Both of these arms are commonly in caliber 7.62 x 39 "Russian". Over the past several months, this ammunition has become almost impossible to find in the US.


[edit on 2-11-2006 by Ed Littlefox]

Found a snapshot of present expected demand in China. Can't seem to find much verifying China's need for copper is effecting availability elsewhere. But it would not surprise if true.

www.bloomberg.com...

Dallas

Found this on a site....

Copper began 2004 with its LME cash price at a six-year high of US$2,348 per tonne ($1.07/lb). After two years of refined copper surplus, the market swung into deficit in 2003 and exchange stocks (LME and COMEX) were drawn down. Prices increased from April, gathering pace as signs of improved economic conditions emerged in the United States and Japan, China continued to boom, the US dollar weakened and mine supply from Grasberg and Andina was disrupted.

link...
www.ame.com.au...

Its obvious.
They are making gigantic tesla coils for their missile shield.

Seriously,it could be anything.Copper is such a vital metal in of computers,machines and money.
China are surely making more of those at the moment as their economy blooms.

Also it has many other uses such as:

.
external source
"Copper Sulfate (CuS):

*

Controls fungus diseases
*

Used to correct copper deficiency in
*

animals
*

Stimulates growth for fattening pigs
*

and broiler chickens
*

Used as a molluscicide to kill slugs and
*

snails

Copper acetate [Cu2O(C2H3O2)2]

*

Insecticide
*

Fungicide
*

Used to treat arthritis patients in the 19th
*

century

Above quote from:

web1.caryacademy.org...

Stimulates growth for fattening pigs

Ok thats it I am getting rid of all of my pennies. I will never carry another one, especialy if I am out to lunch.

Copper is also one of the best materials to make pots and pans for cooking out of.

I heard about the Chinese buying up all the copper when shopping for new bakeware not long ago.

While I can appreciate the conspiratorial aspects of what appear to be China trying to corner the copper market, I can't help but believe that any "copper shortages" are due to fluctuations in the simply rules of supply and demand. The demands for copper by China when added to the rest of the worlds' demand for copper is merely a temporary 'burp' in the markets.

Why would China want so much of the world's copper? Simple. China is presently undergoing a technological and industrial revolution, one that involves bringing China out of relative primitive social demands into a more modern one. Simply using copper as wire to bring electricity throughout their country along with a growing telecommunications industry, a growing infrastructure and the need in the development of the fledgling Chinese automotive industry readily accounts for China's current demand.

As far as current shortages...well, China isn't alone on it's heavy demands for copper. India is, similarly (but to a lesser, short term extent) in the midst of a technological and industrial revolution of it's own. This has added to the demand and the present "shortage" (I don't really like using "shortage" to describe the present situation). Any shortfalls in demand can readily be eased by increasing production. The copper reserves, though not limitless, are in no danger of being compromised any time soon.

Thank you all for the well researched replies. When the world is in such a state of uproar and so much going on so close to the "sleeping bear" I get a little nervous when I hear of our natural resources fleeing to a country that could well be quietly building a little surprise for us all. I remember what a big deal it was when they got ahold of our crashed jet over there and picked it apart before we could get it back.

It's probably nothing to cryptic, but I have heard a few people mention that we should be buying up gold and silver, and to keep an eye on such things as big spends that are out of character. After all it is 2006, why are they just now getting electricity in rural areas?

Three Gorges Dam again?

It was just completed in May 06.
It will become the worlds largest Hydro-electric Dam.

I remember that the construction of this dam was affecting the price of Concrete, as it was being built.

I wonder now, that they are beggining to outfit it with generators and power lines that it might be gobbling up the copper too?

Pretty interesting article, on the effects of this massive project.


3 Gorges Dam

[edit on 3-11-2006 by spacedoubt]

Wow, Spacedoubt.............

That is certainly a massive project. Over a million people displaced and living in poverty. I wouldn't doubt a bit if this isn't "gobbling" up alot of stuff.

Hydro-electric. I wonder how much energy will be created by this. Maybe we will steal China when the damn is done and make it ours.

Originally posted by interestedalways
Maybe we will steal China when the damn is done and make it ours.

Hahahah that is very funny. If only George was a bigger thinker, he might just try it. lol

[edit on 3-11-2006 by LoneGunMan]

I was talking to a friend that is ex-aussie special force, he spent time in cambodia during Pol Pot. He told me they are hoarding everything. Gold, Russian Migs, every kind of raw material.

We had a conversation and he had some inside info, on some things that have caused me to rethink some serious issues about 9/11 and why we have been going in the wrong direction since. I'll give you hint. It wants us in the same mess we created for it, that broke its back in the 1980's. A wounded bear is truley a frightning thing.

China has always had a plan and they control a good share of our curancy and products that could basicly shut our country down. As long as we control the oil they will not be able to defeat us and Iraq is a good jumping point into China.