Key figures 2022
In 2022, the German copper industry recorded a production decline of five percent compared to the dynamic previous year to 1.4 million tons. Among these, the production of cast copper alloys fell by 14 percent to 26,000 tons. The most important sector, the production of rolled, pressed and drawn copper and copper alloy products, as well as the wire rod sector, each showed a five percent decrease in 2022 compared to a high previous year’s level, to 803,000 tons and an expected 568,000 tons, respectively. Powder production decreased to an estimated 16,000 tons during the same period. This corresponds to a minus of eight percent compared to 2021.
The German copper industry provides jobs for 15,000 employees in about 60 companies.
What about copper substitution?
A new study commissioned by the International Copper Association ICA found that copper continues to offer the best price-performance combination for many applications – especially where high electrical conductivity, corrosion or friction resistance is required or available space is limited. In other applications, rising material costs may motivate new research and development initiatives to use copper more efficiently (keyword miniaturisation) or to use alternative materials. The DMM Advisory Group research found that net substitution was 0.95 per cent of total global copper consumption, a slight increase from 0.83 per cent in 2019. This low substitution rate is due to users focusing on the economic impact of COVID-19 and the relatively low material cost of copper.
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Copper is a significant functional metal and an important element of technical and socio-economic progress.
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