Why use "aluminum instead of copper"?

This is not just about saving money; it also concerns the safety of the industrial chain, driven by three core factors:

1. Cost pressure (copper prices skyrocketing): By 2025, copper prices are expected to remain high, with futures prices exceeding $10,000 per ton. Air conditioning systems are major "copper consumers" (approximately 1,723,000 tons of copper used in the industry in 2023), while aluminum prices are significantly lower than copper, allowing for substantial cost reductions when replacing copper with aluminum.

2. Resource security (breaking free from import reliance): China is a country with scarce copper resources, relying on imports for 80% of its copper, which poses significant supply chain risks; however, China is a major aluminum producer, with electrolytic aluminum production accounting for 60% of the global total. Replacing copper with aluminum allows for better control over supply chain security.

3. National strategy: In March of this year (2025), ten departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Aluminum Industry," clearly supporting the idea of "using aluminum to save copper" in the home appliance sector.