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    Sulphur 421 Nov-Dec 2025

    24 November 2025

    Aurubis looking at new US smelter

    Aurubis looking at new US smelter

    Aurubis says that it is in discussions with the US government about possible financial support for the construction of a new copper smelter. Reuters reports comments from Aurubis CEO Toralf Haag during LME Week that there had been a positive response from the Trump administration. The US is currently only able to supply about half of its refined copper demand of 1.7 million t/a from domestic production, and the gap may widen as demand increases.

    The move comes in the wake of the start-up of Aurubis’ new multi-metal recycling facility in the state of Georgia. The $860 million investment will ramp up to an annual output of 70,000 t/a of copper. CEO Dr. Toralf Haag commented: “The commissioning of our facility in Richmond marks a milestone in Aurubis’ growth journey. We are first movers and have built the first greenfield smelter in the US in over a century. Our timely entry into the US market and our unique set of capabilities coupled with a supportive funding environment are a strong foundation for further growth in one of the most attractive metal markets in the world.”.

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    Price Trends

    The global sulphur market has entered a holding pattern, as a wave of bearish sentiment has so far failed to move stubbornly high spot prices. The departure of a significant volume of product from the Middle East has emboldened buyers and shifted market sentiment firmly towards bearish, but at time of writing this has so far failed to translate into lower prices. With sellers in no hurry to lower prices and spot availability still tight, the market has stalled as both sides wait for the other to blink first.

    Restart for Hongda smelter

    Hongda's 100,000 t/a zinc smelter, in China's Sichuan Province, completed scheduled maintenance and equipment upgrading and officially resumed production on 21st June, the company said. The smelter had been shut down for planned maintenance since January, during which time a modernisation project for the electrolytic zinc smelting system was also carried out. Following the nearly six-month revamp, the resumption of production is expected to improve overall operational efficiency, reduce unit production costs, and increase the utilisation rate, The company said. The stable supply of sulphuric acid generated by the zinc smelter will effectively leverage the synergies of the "sulphur-phosphorus" industrial chain in the company, an help alleviate cost pressures on the company's phosphorus chemical business segment.