Recent Events at the IWCC:

 

IWCC Joint Statistical and Copper Committee Meetings – LME Week:

The IWCC Joint Statistical Committee, chaired by Randy Nickle, met on the 12th of October to discuss the latest statistics and trends of refined copper demand across all major global markets and regions.

The IWCC Copper Committee, chaired by Dirk Harten, met on the 12th of October to discuss key trends in the copper semis industry. The meeting began with a presentation from Georgina Hallet, LME, before a roundtable discussion led by Adam Estelle, CDA. Finally, members were shown a presentation by Luke Freeland breaking down growth in refined copper and semis demand in emerging copper markets including India, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.  We would like to thank Georgina Hallet and Adam Estelle for their contribution to the meeting.

During LME week, Miette Dechelle also attended the Women4Metal event, a fantastic initiative which the IWCC will continue to support going forward.

Copper for Sustainable Plumbing Update – One Year On:

October marks one year since the start of the Copper for Sustainable Plumbing social media marketing campaign aimed at promoting the benefits of copper tubes over plastic alternatives. Thus far, the campaign has reached over 4.2 million users, with 56,000 engagements and nearly 1,600 followers across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Please see below for the three best performing posts this quarter, which highlight the antimicrobial properties of copper tubes, and their suitability compared to plastic alternatives regarding their recyclability.

Looking forward, the campaign team will look to work increasingly with the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) and refine the focus on the campaign towards plumbers and contractors after a successful acquisition campaign on Facebook earlier this year. The IWCC Copper Tube committee, where the campaign was initially conceptualised, will hear an update on the development of the campaign by Hopscotch Europe at the upcoming committee meeting in Amsterdam next month. For more information about the campaign, please click here.

Eurometaux Drinking Water Workshop:

On behalf of the IWCC Brass Rod Committee, Miette Dechelle attended the Eurometaux Drinking Water Workshop on the 2nd of October. The event included presentations from the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency, National Authorities, Notified Bodies and other relevant stakeholders. The purpose of the workshop was to share information on the current state-of-play for the Drinking Water Directive and to raise concerns on the remaining gaps and issues to be solved for an achievable implementation. The European Drinking Water Alliance, representing the whole supply chain, works actively to address the remaining issues. One of them is the time gap between approval of some starting substances – like alloys by UBA (4 MS approach) between 2021 and 2026, and the possible start of application for listing of those alloys on the EU Positive List. In addition, the RAC (Risk Assessment Committee) Drinking Water Working Group, made up of Members States and Observers, is running a check list for the EU Positive List to which relevant substances would be tested in advance.

The IWCC, together with its members, will look to work increasingly with both groups. This item will be presented and discussed at our next Brass Rod Committee in Amsterdam on November 21st.

Forthcoming IWCC Events:

 

IWCC Product Committee Autumn Meetings:

The IWCC European Product Committees will hold a number of events and meetings in the coming months, including:

– Copper Tube Committee, 18th to 19th of November, Amsterdam

– Brass Rod Committee, 20th to 21st of November, Amsterdam

These meetings will look to build on the positive discussion had in the Spring meetings. For more information about the IWCC’s ongoing product committee work, please email Luke@coppercouncil.org.

 

IWCC Regulatory Affairs and Advocacy Committee:

Building on the discussions in Osnabruck in June, the IWCC Regulatory Affairs and Advocacy Committee will next meet in Amsterdam on the 19th to 20th of November. If you would like to join the IWCC Regulatory Affairs and Advocacy Committee and participate in the ongoing work on topics such as the Drinking Water Directive, CLP and RoHS compliance, please email Luke@coppercouncil.org for more information.

 

IWCC Technical Seminar 2026 – Vietnam:

We are excited to announce that the 2026 Technical Seminar will be held in Vietnam between the 1st and 5th of March. This annual event, which is the only global seminar covering the latest technological developments in the copper semis industry, will bring together engineers, equipment suppliers and academics for a seminar focusing on ‘Innovation in the Copper Fabricating Industry,’ and include two plant visits to the Jintian copper tube plant in Ho Chi Minh City and the Boway Bedra factory in Hanoi. Please see below a full breakdown of the program:

Sunday 1st March: Delegates will explore Ho Chi Minh City with an ‘Experience Saigon’ city tour, before a welcome dinner at the Duong Dong restaurant.

Monday 2nd March: Delegates will tour the Jintian copper tube factory, before travelling to Hanoi.

Tuesday 3rd March: The two-day seminar focusing on ‘Innovation in the Copper Fabricating Industry’ will begin, before a visit to the Temple of Literature and a dinner held at the Ngon Garden restaurant.

Wednesday 4th march: The seminar will continue for day two of high-level presentations and networking opportunities, before a dinner at the Soft Water restaurant.

Thursday 5th March: Finally, the event will conclude with a plant visit to the Boway Bedra plant.

Registration for this event is now open. Please click here to register.

The purpose of this Newsletter is to strengthen the relationship between the IWCC and our members through updates on recent news and forthcoming events. We want to hear from you and encourage any of our members who would like more information or have any questions about future events, to send us an email or a message on our website and we can arrange a call together.