U.S. purchasing slipped by 6% last year

Staff -- Purchasing, 7/13/2006

The copper development association's recent audit of domestic copper buying for end use showed a decline of 6.2% in 2005 to 7.47 billion lb from 7.96 billion in 2004. As for supply, domestic production of refined copper dipped 3.8% from 2004 levels and imports edged downward 0.3%. Construction (3.68 billion lb) continued to be the largest end-use market for copper products, accounting for nearly half, 49.2%, of total domestic use. Electrical and electronic products (1.53 billion lb) accounted for 20.4% of total buys; transportation equipment (803 million lb), 10.7%; consumer and general products (798 million lb), 10.7%; and industrial machinery and equipment (667 million lb), 9%.