It is showed from the General Administration of Customs on Tuesday that China imported 194,388 metric tons of refined copper in November, up 37% compared with the same month last year.

Imports were up 15% from 169,374 tons in October.

In the January-November period, imports surged 137% on year to 2.94 million tons, customs data showed.

It is reported from the Xinhua News Agency over the weekend that Jiangxi Copper Co. has started a project to increase the copper concentrate output from its Jiujiang mine.

The project, scheduled to be completed by 2010, aims to raise annual concentrate output to 14,800 metric tons from the current 6,000 tons, according to the report.

The Jiujiang mine is rich in copper and sulfur, with around 1.65 million tons of copper mine reserves.

According to the data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday, China’s imports of refined copper fell for a second straight month to 219,731 tonnes in August from 292,226 tonnes in July.

Imports of primary aluminium to China, the world’s top copper and aluminium consumer, dropped to 117,213 tonnes in August from 131,724 tonnes in July.

Chinese copper and aluminium prices stayed lower than the cost of imports last month following increased domestic stocks resulting from record inflows in the first half of the year, cutting spot buying from merchants and speculators.