Monthly Digest for ICA Members
ICA
NEWS
The ICA News Brief is a monthly summary of our key activities and achievements. This edition highlights progress in policy, standards, and market development including updated carbon footprint guidance and major wins for copper in global standards.
Events
Strategic Communications
ICA Welcomes: AMMAN as a new member
HIGHLIGHTS
- PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMMAN), one of Indonesia's largest copper and gold mining companies, has officially joined the International Copper Association (ICA), becoming its first member headquartered in Southeast Asia
- AMMAN's membership comes at a crucial moment in its transformation, marked by the completion of its transition into a fully integrated mining-to-refining company, following the commencement of operations at its new smelter and precious metal refinery. This milestone strengthens AMMAN's position across the copper value chain.
ICA Welcomes: Vitol as a new member
HIGHLIGHTS
- Vitol is a global energy and commodities company; its primary business of trading is complemented by a range of energy infrastructure.
- Established in Rotterdam in 1966, Vitol is the world's leading independent energy trader and is expanding into metals like copper as it seeks to diversify its business in the context of evolving energy demand.
ICA Welcomes: ME Elecmetal as new member
HIGHLIGHTS
- Founded in Chile in 1917, ME Elecmetal has grown into a global leader in engineered grinding mill liners, grinding media, and integrated wear solutions, supporting mining operations in more than 40 countries across five continents.
- ME Elecmetal brings deep expertise in comminution, process optimization, engineering, and innovative mining technologies that help improve productivity, safety, and sustainability throughout the mineral processing value chain.
ICA Market Development Council meeting
HIGHLIGHTS
- We welcomed new participants from Anglo American, CMOC, Ivanhoe, Newmont, and Vitol.
- The Iran conflict is accelerating the energy transition globally. China and the EU are doubling down on investment, while India and the U.S. face supply chain strain, fueling copper substitution risk.
- Copper demand from robotics is set to grow ~5× by 2035 (to ~300 kt), led by humanoid robots.
- Circularity messaging aligned with the Science & Regulatory Affairs Council, anchored on updated stock-and-flow data.
ICA China won the 2025 Annual Prize from the China Resource Recycling Association
CHALLENGES ADDRESSED
- All products, technologies, solutions, and projects under evaluation must contribute to a green cycle and sustainable development in China's renewable energy system.
- As a national-level award in China, the 2025 annual award has shortlisted over 100 Chinese institutions and international NGOs for five winning spots.
OUR RESPONSE
- ICA China has been actively promoting the adoption of 100% recyclable copper as the conductor material in wind turbine generators within the Chinese wind power industry.
- ICA China has joined the drafting work of two national standards related to the green upgrading and renovation of wind farms over the past five years.
ICA China experts presented at the 2026 China Data Centre Committee Renewable Energy Technology Forum
OBJECTIVES
- Maintain rapport with the industrial organization of CDCC.
- Gain insight into the latest technology development trends in the data center industry.
MESSAGES
- Shared information on the upcoming data centre project code.
- Safety, efficiency, energy conservation, and low carbon emissions, as well as reliable operation, are key considerations for the power supply and distribution system in data centres, and copper meets these requirements more effectively than aluminum.
ICA China met the Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (BGRIMM)
OBJECTIVES
- Establish contact with BGRIMM.
- Learn about cutting-edge innovative technologies covering the full upstream process of mine exploration, mining, mineral processing, and flotation.
MESSAGES
- Introduced ICA's global presence and its members.
- Discussed potential collaboration areas and business opportunities between ICA and BGRIMM.
ICA talks @ CRU Summit
OBJECTIVES
- Explain the relationship between copper circularity, recycling, and decarbonization across the whole copper value chain.
- Show the necessity of using an optimal blend of primary and secondary copper for the production of wire rod.
- Position ICA as the key entry point for information on copper in the wire and cable sector.
OUR RESPONSE
- Decoupling decarbonization from recycled content is essential.
- Primary copper remains the backbone of global wire rod manufacturing due to strict scrap and technical limitations.
- High recycled-content solutions remain niche and cannot be replicated at a large industrial scale.
ICA high-level event on EU Circular Economy Act
Copper as the backbone of electrification
OBJECTIVES
- Highlight the role of copper and ICA members in circularity and e-waste recycling.
- Raise visibility for ICA's policy asks to facilitate copper recycling while stressing the need to also support the competitiveness of existing EU mines, smelters and refineries, expand domestic mining capacity, and strengthen partnerships with third countries.
- All the above is needed to meet future copper demand and support the EU's competitiveness, clean energy, and digital transitions.
- Facilitate exchange between the Head of Cabinet and Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, Macarena Gutiérrez (CEO, Atlantic Copper), and Daniel Peltonen (President, Boliden Smelters) (link to photos).
MESSAGES
- Copper is indispensable to the societal transformation that the EU seeks.
- Building resilient supply chains for the EU requires an "all-of-the-above" strategy that supports European mining and refining, increases recycling, and imports from a diversified network of partners, alongside measures to improve access to competitively priced electricity for energy-intensive industries and more pragmatic permitting frameworks that maintain high environmental standards.
ICA attends European Industry Forum
The societal value of copper and supporting the business case
OBJECTIVES
- Raise awareness of key EU policymakers and Members of the European Parliament of the value of metals as indispensable to the energy transition, electrification, digitalization, and AI, with copper at the heart of these transformations.
- Highlight key ICA recommendations to support the copper industry in Europe.
- ICA shared the panel with Bruno Dobbelaer, an influential Member of the European Parliament Industry and Environment Committees, and Christophe Yvetot, UN Industrial Development Organization representative to the EU.
MESSAGES
- Copper is indispensable to the societal transformation that the EU seeks.
- Building resilient supply chains for the EU requires an "all-of-the-above" strategy that supports European mining and refining, increases recycling, and imports from a diversified network of partners, alongside measures to improve access to competitively priced electricity for energy-intensive industries and more pragmatic permitting frameworks that maintain high environmental standards.
CDA Spring Meeting in NYC
OBJECTIVES
- Bring together the copper value chain and senior executives from copper producers, fabricators, and recyclers to share the impact and value of ICA and CDA membership.
- Strengthen alignment around ICA's strategy to Promote, Protect and Defend copper in the U.S. market.
MESSAGES
- CDA is ICA's arm in the U.S. and delivers ICA's strategy in the region. CDA also manages fabricator-driven programs funded by CDA members, bringing additional value for ICA members.
- CDA members represent >90% of U.S. semis capacity and are channel partners that give ICA members a strategic advantage in the U.S. through direct engagement with fabricators on programs that connect copper to the market.
Colorado School of Mines
OBJECTIVES
- Context: An estimated ~100 kt of copper is lost to the steel stream each year in the U.S. via end products requiring processing.
- Copper acts as an undesirable contaminant in steel, and once melted in, copper cannot be economically recovered back to the copper stream.
- Workshop objective: convene steel, copper, recycling, and research stakeholders to discuss challenges and potential solutions.
MESSAGES
- Discussions focused on the systemic loss from commodities: copper is degraded from a high-value material into an unwanted impurity, while steel producers bear the cost and complexity of managing its presence.
- Outcome: Raised awareness of this growing problem and opened dialogue between respective subject matter experts from relevant industries to facilitate and drive collaboration (data, R&D, etc.).
Building India's Metal Security
OBJECTIVES
- Highlight the critical role copper plays in India's energy transition, infrastructure development, and grid modernization.
- Address the urgent need to strengthen processing capabilities through the collaborative effort of policy-makers, industry leaders, and technology providers.
MESSAGES
- Copper demand is expanding at 9–10% annually, ahead of GDP, and the government envisages it to grow 5.4× by 2047.
- Primary copper will remain indispensable, as long product lifecycles and tightening global scrap availability mean scrap alone cannot meet demand.
- Unlocking high-quality copper recycling will require structural reforms, stronger quality standards, investment in advanced refining technologies, and supportive tax-policy measures.
Policy
Scientific & Regulatory Affairs
ICA presents scientific evidence on copper endocrine disruption to EU regulators
Copper does not meet the Endocrine Disruptor classification criteria
CHALLENGES ADDRESSED
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There is a wealth of data on Cu, and there is a risk that the weight of that evidence is not properly applied under the new finalized classification criteria & guidance for ED under Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP No. 1272/2008 (GHS in EU)) and that evaluators may focus on unreliable/isolated data rather than the overall dataset.
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Other countries look to the EU on certain regulations and safety assessments and may implement a classification if Cu is assessed as an endocrine disruptor, without reviewing the evidence.
OUR RESPONSE
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ECHA selected ICA to present the weight of scientific evidence on copper at their ED Capacity Building Workshop, demonstrating that copper does not meet the criteria for classification.
- High attendance & visibility – hundreds of participants, including representatives from most Member State authorities.
ICA shapes the copper human-health impact assessment
New copper data added to USEtox 3 life cycle impact assessment model
CHALLENGES ADDRESSED
- USEtox is an internationally recognized scientific model used to estimate the potential health impacts of chemicals across their life cycle.
- The latest version is being updated through an ICMM-led initiative, adding new health data for several metals – Cu, Mo, Zn, Ni, Co, Al and Mn.
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The model output influences how products are assessed and selected based on environmental and health footprint, shaping regulation and material selection.
- It is therefore critical that copper is represented using sound, up-to-date scientific data.
OUR RESPONSE
- As an active member of the international expert group working on this issue, ICA advised on study selection and health findings relevant to copper to be built into the model.
- ICA has been actively engaged in developing the data curation protocol that governs how key studies are selected and documented within the model.
- This work reflects ICA's commitment to the use of sound science and data as the basis of life cycle impact assessment but does not represent an endorsement of the USEtox model in its current form.
Australia keeps existing copper workplace limit
CHALLENGE ADDRESSED
- In 2014, the EU's Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) recommended a respirable copper limit of 0.01 mg/m³; no reliable studies in humans were available at that time.
- Australia proposed adopting this value, which would have forced copper producers to invest in costly additional dust controls and worker protection. Australian standards often influence those adopted in other countries in the region.
OUR RESPONSE
- ICA submitted scientific information to Safe Work Australia formally during the public consultation periods that did not support the proposed value.
- ICA has supported key copper industry players in Australia on the science published through ICA's independent research program.
SUCCESS
- In June 2026, after an impact assessment, Safe Work Australia formally published the decision that the copper workplace exposure limit will remain unchanged at 1 mg/m³ for copper dusts and mists.
CDA Secures Congressional Record Support
CHALLENGE ADDRESSED
- Lawmakers' follow-up questions gave CDA a direct, on-the-record chance to reinforce ICA and CDA members' top U.S. policy priorities—turning one hearing into a lasting policy record that members can point to for months of advocacy ahead.
OUR RESPONSE
- Pressed for immediate 45X tax credit eligibility—turning idle copper scrap and endorsed wire. Frame: fix the biggest lever to make domestic primary metal secondary recycling viable in the U.S.
- Made the case for permitting reform via the SPEED Act cited U.S. exploration investment lagging Canada (55%) and Australia (2×) for top-endowment, proving regulation—not geology—is the holdup.
- Connected copper processing to other U.S. Critical Minerals—noted copper concentrate carries recoverable selenium, tellurium, cobalt, nickel, platinum, and rhenium, strengthening the case for smelter capacity that mines feedstock needs.
- Elevated the workforce crisis—backed the Mining Schools Act and federal grants for mining engineering and apprentices to replace a retiring workforce.
- Defended responsible mining on the record—detailed the Copper Mark's 33-criteria framework (100+ certified sites) as a credible and widely adopted solution.
CDA Supports Copper Joining Technology in UL Appeals
CHALLENGES ADDRESSED
- UL207 Technical Committee (TC) forced unrealistic certification requirements for a new copper joining technology and dismissed industry concerns to resolve objections.
- The proposed UL207 requirements would create a significant market barrier to copper in heating and cooling applications, as well as causing certification confusion in the market.
OUR RESPONSE
- CDA filed and won an initial appeal aiming to strike down the unrealistic requirements. A new vote and public comment period are now required.
- CDA is actively engaged with UL207 TC to work through the next round of comments.
