BEIJING: China’s copper imports climbed in November on expectations of steady demand next year with the world’s top metals consumer speeding up efforts to support its embattled property sector and on hopes of easing COVID-19 curbs.

Imports of unwrought copper and copper products by China were 539,901.70 tonnes in November, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

The purchases, which included anode, refined, alloy and semi-finished copper products, represented an increase of 5.8% from imports of 510,402.3 tonnes in the same month last year.

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China brought in 5.36 million tonnes of copper in the first 11 months this year, up 8.5% from the same period a year ago.

The country exported 455,599 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products, including primary, alloy and semi-finished aluminium products, in November.