Copper foil prices up another 5%

     Quotes for copper foil have risen for the fourth consecutive month, up by 5% in December 2010 compared with November, according to industry sources. The upward trend reflects strengthening copper prices.

     Three-month copper prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) recently topped US$9,000/ton. LME copper closed at US$9,015/ton on December 8.

     The sources pointed out that if copper continues to trade at above US$8,500/ton, copper foil prices for January 2011 are likely to continue trending up. But PCB manufacturers will be reluctant to accept any higher prices due to the start of the traditional first-quarter slow season, the sources said.

     Demand for HDI boards used in smartphones and tablet PCs remained stable in November, but regular PCBs started showing weakness due to seasonality, according to copper foil provider Co-Tech. Meanwhile, CCL customers had to work off their inventory during the month as demand for IT and consumer electronics products slowed down, said the Taiwan-based firm.

     Co-Tech said its November revenues decreased 12.8% sequentially to NT$406 million, affected by falling shipments. The company expects sales to bounce back in January when demand from CCL customers picks up.