Recent Events at the IWCC:
IWCC Technical Seminar 2025 – USA:
The 2025 IWCC Technical Seminar took place in the USA between the 2nd and the 6th of March. This annual event, which is the only seminar covering the latest technological developments in the copper semis industry, brought together engineers, equipment suppliers and academics for a seminar focusing on downstream processes. The event saw delegates participating from over fifty different countries, receiving 23 papers and participating in two plant visits.
The event began with a plant visit to the Wieland Recycling Plant in Shelbyville, Kentucky, on the 3rd of March. The 78 acre site melts and recycles copper and copper alloy scrap for use in manufacturing semi-finished products throughout North America, and is an important new facility for the circular economy and carbon neutrality in the North American copper industry. It was interesting to hear about the efforts to process an increasing amount of scrap copper domestically in the USA. This is a very topical subject in America and thus it was great to tie in this plant visit into the event.
The event then moved to Dallas, Texas, where the main seminar was held. The next two days heard a range of interesting and insightful papers covering subjects including slitting, thermos and surface treatments and automation. The full presentations are available to view on our website for those who attended the event.
Finally, the event concluded with a visit to the Encore Wire plant in McKinney, Texas, on the 6th of March. This plant stretches over 460 acres and a 3.5 million square-foot campus, making Encore Wire a leading manufacturer of copper wire across all major industries.
Networking is also always an important part of IWCC events. This year’s Technical Seminar included dinners at the Y.O Ranch Steakhouse and the Meso Maya restaurant. We would like to thank everyone who attended and presented at this event. Planning for the 2026 Technical Seminar has already begun, and we are very excited for what is to come.
IWCC Copper Tube Committee Meeting – Vienna, Austria:
The IWCC Copper Tube Committee met on the 26th and 27th of March. The meeting began with members hearing a comprehensive update on the success of the Copper for Sustainable Plumbing media campaign by Flohic Morin, Digital Director of Hopscotch Europe. This developed into a wider discussion about the next twelve months of the campaign, and how the campaign will look to engage with other associations and educational bodies to build awareness and engagement. Members were then shown a detailed statistical presentation prepared by the IWCC team, outlining copper tube production and demand across all major European and global markets, with breakdowns of water tube and industrial tube demand. Finally, members heard an interesting and insightful update on the European Net Zero Industries Act and a presentation on the threat of heat pump substitution from Robert Pinter, ICA Europe.
The meeting also included a dinner at Plachutta’s Gasthaus zur Oper, a local Austrian restaurant. This gave members the chance to catch up and network with friends across the industry. We would like to thank everyone who attended this event and look forward to the Autumn meeting. The date and place of the next meeting will be finalised with the committee nearer the time.
IWCC India Presentation and Dinner:
On the 1st of April, the IWCC held its inaugural India Presentation and Dinner in Mumbai. This is the first step in the IWCC’s efforts to increase their involvement in India, one of the world’s largest growing copper markets.
The event brought together some of the key members of the Indian copper fabricating industry to meet and network with IWCC board members, and to hear a presentation on the value of an IWCC membership. The presentation gave participants an insight into the global flagship events the IWCC holds every year, including our Joint Meeting and Technical Seminar. It also gave examples of the comprehensive statistical reports, forecasts and market information available to IWCC members.
A dinner was then held at the Four Seasons Hotel. We would like to thank everyone who attended this event, and we look forward to engaging increasingly with the Indian semis fabricating industry in the future.
An update on the Copper for Sustainable Plumbing Campaign:
The IWCC is pleased to announce that following a successful nine month initial testing phase, the Copper for Sustainable Plumbing Campaign will continue for another twelve months. The campaign reached over 3.2 million users between October and March across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The next steps of the campaign moving forward is to engage increasingly with educational bodies, and to work with junior plumbers and apprenticeship schemes, to promote the use of copper as a building product as part of their curriculum. The team will also work to develop their relationship with the Copper Sustainability Partnership, a similar, UK based campaign, and to appear increasingly at trade shows and industry events to build exposure and engagement.
Forthcoming IWCC Events:
IWCC Joint Meeting 2025 – Singapore:
The IWCC is pleased to announce that the 2025 Joint Meeting will be held in Singapore, at the Shangri-La Hotel. This annual event will bring together the copper value chain, from mining companies to semis fabricators, as well as industry stakeholders and academics, to discuss the major trends and issues impacting the sector, with a focus on the current and future trends for the copper fabrication industry.
The event will begin with the IWCC Joint Statistical Committee and Copper Committee meetings, building upon successful discussions in LME Week in October. The main Joint Meeting will begin the next day, hearing interesting and insightful presentations from across the value chain, giving attendants a comprehensive update on developments in the copper industry.
The IWCC Joint Meeting also provides unparalleled networking opportunities for delegates across the entire copper value chain. Delegates will stay in the Shangri-La Hotel, and the event will hold an Industry Dinner at the Clifford Pier, and a more causal dinner at the Coconut Club. Following the success of the morning run in Washington last year we will also be organising a run for delegates in Singapore. Finally, delegates will have the opportunity to dive into Singapore’s Historic Quarters, including the Civic Centre, River Bumboat and China Town.
Registration for the event is still open. Please email iwcc@coppercouncil.org for more information. Updates on the success of the meeting will feature on our website, LinkedIn page and future newsletter installments.
Product Committees
The IWCC European Product Committees will hold a number of events and meetings in the coming months, including:
Brass Rod Committee — 22nd and 23rd of May, Istanbul, Turkey
Copper Wire Rod Committee — 11th and 12th of June, Gothenburg, Sweden
Flat Rolled Product Committee — 24th to 26th of June, Istanbul, Turkey. This event will be hosted by Altek Dokum
Updates on the work of IWCC Product Committees can be found on our website, LinkedIn page and future newsletter installments.
Regulatory Affairs Committee
The IWCC Regulatory Affairs committee will meet on the 14th of October, online, to discuss topics such as Restriction of Hazardous Substances, CBAM and EU Rules of Origin updates. This meeting will be hosted by KME Germany.
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.
