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Copper cathode · verified buyers
Copper cathode buyers are rod mills, wire and cable makers, brass and tube mills, and trading houses that supply them. Most buy against the LME and pay after inspection or by letter of credit. On Copper Supply you can post a free selling offer, and buyers who trade cathode are told about it within minutes.
China is by far the largest importer of refined copper. India, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Italy are also large buyers.
Buyers who have been burnt before will ask for a trial of one to three trucks. That is normal. See trial orders.
Be careful with buyers who ask you to pay for anything first, or who send "proof of funds" with no bank you can contact. See how to verify a copper buyer.
Post a selling offer with brand, tonnage, location, incoterm and price. You can price as LME + US$/t, LME − US$/t, LME ± %, a fixed price, or open to offers. Listings are checked automatically for fraud signs and stay live for 90 days. Buyers ask for an introduction, and you decide who to talk to. Copper Supply takes no commission on your deal and never holds trade money.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Against the LME cash settlement price, averaged over an agreed period. Registered Grade A brands in main markets sell at LME plus a premium in US$ per tonne. Non-registered brands and cathode sold inland in Africa sell at a discount to the LME, which covers transport, finance and brand risk.
Grade A is refined copper cathode that meets BS EN 1978 Cu-CATH-1, ASTM B115 Grade 1 or the matching Chinese standard, typically quoted as 99.99% copper. Brands that meet it and are approved by the LME can be delivered against LME contracts. Cathode that meets the chemistry but is not an LME brand is often called non-registered or off-brand.
A real seller can name the producer and brand, prove where the copper is and who owns it, and accept an inspector you appoint. Check the company in its official registry, call the warehouse yourself on its published number, and have the documents reviewed. A price deeper than about LME −20% is a strong sign the offer is fake.
Rod mills, wire and cable makers, brass and tube mills, and the trading houses that supply them. China is the largest importer of refined copper, followed by countries such as India, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy.
Documents2 min read
The standards behind Grade A cathode, why purity claims on concentrate and ore can be impossible, and what to put in the contract.
Read the guideScams & fraud3 min read
Deep LME discounts on Grade A cathode are how many scams start. What discounts we actually saw on real offers, and what pushes a price lower or higher.
Read the guideChecking people2 min read
Everyone says they have stock. Five checks that separate sellers who control copper from people forwarding someone else's offer.
Read the guideDocuments
Post it free. Members who trade it get an email within minutes, and only ID-checked people can contact you.
Typical copper cathode specification
Usually an SCO or FCO from the seller, an LOI or ICPO from the buyer, then an SPA. Delivery needs a certificate of analysis, independent inspection, a warehouse receipt, an export licence, certificates of origin and a bill of lading or road consignment note.
Almost never for Grade A. In 2025 and 2026 real cathode in African bonded warehouses traded at roughly LME −8% to −10%. Any trader could buy real Grade A at −20% and sell it on at once, so such offers are used to collect contacts, documents or fees.
How copper is held in bonded warehouses, what a genuine receipt looks like, why a bank SKR for cathode is a red flag, and how to confirm ownership.