Lihua International Inc., based in Danyang, China, reports that production on its second and third copper anode smelters have reached more than 2,800 metric tons per month, an increase of about 60 percent from July 2012’s production figures.

Lihua develops, designs and manufactures alternatives to pure copper products, including refined copper products and superfine and magnet wire, as well as copper clad aluminum. According to a release, Lihua International expects production to be near designed capacity of 50,000 metric tons on an annualized basis by the end of September.

"We are proud of the progress we have made since launching the smelters in June, as we have achieved a steady ramp up in output despite the intense summer heat in Jiangsu Province that typically forces production slowdowns in July and August. Industry demand for our copper anode products has continued to grow, and we are working to reach maximum capacity on these smelters as quickly as possible," says Jianhua Zhu, Lihua's chairman and CEO.

"Based on customer indications, demand for our copper anode product will remain strong through the remainder of the year, and as such, we are confident on our production and sales outlooks for the new smelters. In addition, we are on track to launch our new CCA cable and wire products next year, opening a new and sizeable market for us in an area that presents great opportunity for growth and success," Zhu adds.