Storyline: Chinese copper processors adapt to rising red metal prices [Voice_over] With copper prices hovering near record highs, Chinese metal processing firms are recalibrating their strategies to navigate soaring costs. This copper strip and plate manufacturer in east China’s Jiangxi Province, for instance, is moving up the supply chain with plans to develop higher-value products through processes like electroplating. [Sound_bite] Huang Chengkan, production director, copper processor: "By offering electroplated copper strips, we can capture the profit margin from the plating process itself. This value-added step is expected to increase our sales price by over 280 U.S. dollars per ton." [Voice_over] And for others, the focus is on negotiating price pass-through deals with supply chain partners to cushion the impact of rising copper prices. [Sound_bite] Gan Fangqi, head, copper processor: "When an upstream client places a priced order for, say, 2,000 tons of raw material with us, we pass on the price exposure down the chain, by offering a corresponding volume to our downstream buyers at a set price." [Voice_over] Copper is a critical metal in wiring for renewable energy, electronics, and construction sectors. Data shows that the price of copper has gone up more than 20 percent so far this year, due to a series of major global mine outages and production setbacks. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]