VIDEO: Metal Bulletin launches Copper Concentrates TC/RC index

Metal Bulletin has launched an index for copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) on a cif Asia-Pacific ports basis.

{BrightcoveVideo}

Metal Bulletin has launched an index for copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) on a cif Asia-Pacific ports basis.

Metal Bulletin’s Mark Burton outlines the details of the index, and the reasons behind it.

The TC/RC index was published for the first time on Friday March 14 2014, after more than a year of research and consultation with the industry, at a value of $91.88 per dry metric tonne/9.188 cents per lb. This compares with $65.52/6.552 cents on June 15 2013.

TC/RCs are charges for the cost of transforming copper concentrates into cathode through smelting and refining.

Rises and falls in TC/RCs provide an insight into the balance of supply and demand in the copper concentrates market.

As such, they can be a leading indicator for supply and demand in the refined copper market.

The index, the first such price in the copper concentrates market, will be published twice every calendar month, on the 15th and last day of each month, or the closest preceding day in the event that such dates fall on a weekend or a UK public holiday.

For full details of the specification, click here.

Want to check the price history? You can sign up here.

For a market report on the launch date of the price, click here.

Mark Burton
mburton@metalbulletin.com
Twitter: @mburtonmb

What to read next
Half a million tonnes of copper is sitting in US warehouses, and the traders who put it there are starting to wonder whether they’ve built a hedge, or a trap.
European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.
The assessment, which currently follows the UK holiday calendar, will follow the Singapore holiday calendar after the proposed change. There will be no change to the publication timing, and the assessment will continue to be published weekly on Wednesdays, at 7pm Singapore time. The purpose of the adjustment is to align the timing to the […]
JX Advanced Metals, Mitsui Kinzoku, Marubeni and Mitsubishi Materials(MMC) inked a deal to integrate MMC's copper concentrate procurement and related products sales business into Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), marking a significant consolidation of Japan's copper concentrate purchasing sector amid persistent pressure from weak treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs).
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
Copper producers, including Atlas Mining, reported higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of elevated copper prices, while concentrate output declined at several operations in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines due to lower ore grades and disruptions, according to company results reviewed by Fastmarkets.