Copper wire, tube imports hit multi-year highs in FY25

India's copper cathode imports declined 34% year-on-year in 2024-25 (FY25), largely due to a three-month supply disruption triggered by a quality control order (QCO), even as imports of downstream products such as wire, tubes, and sheets surged to multi-year highs.

- Aggam Walia

INDIA'S COPPER CATHODE imports declined 34% year-on-year in 2024-25 (FY25), largely due to a three-month supply disruption triggered by a quality control order (QCO), even as imports of downstream products such as wire, tubes, and sheets surged to multi-year highs.

While copper cathode imports dropped sharply, imports of key downstream copper products climbed in FY25—wire rose 17% y-o-y, tubes and pipes 30%, and plates, sheets, and strips 49%.

In India, copper is classified as a critical mineral given limited domestic production and high demand in conventional and emerging technologies—from air conditioners and transformers to electric vehicle (EV) batteries and wind turbines. It is also seen as a bellwether of economic activity owing to its extensive application across sectors.

From an average of 27,000 tonnes each month between April and November 2024, copper cathode imports fell to around 2,000 tonnes per month between December and February, after the QCO went into effect from December 1. Then, in March 2025, imports recovered slightly to 16,000 tonnes, official trade data showed.