LME Grade A Copper Cathode
99.99% electrolytic copper from LME-registered brands — specified to Cu-CATH-1, assayed at loading, priced against the LME with the premium disclosed.
Overview
The metal the energy transition runs on
Copper cathode is the refined form in which copper actually trades: electrolytically refined sheets at 99.99% purity, feeding rod mills, wire producers, tube plants, and the grid and EV buildout behind global demand growth.
Aerisus brokers cathode from LME-registered brands out of South American and African refineries — Chile and Peru as the deepest origins, with Central African and Mexican material quoted when corridor economics favor them. Brand matters: a registered brand is warrantable against the LME contract, an unregistered one is a discount and a dispute waiting to happen.
Cathode is also the commodity where fraud is most concentrated. Every parcel we broker is inspected, sampled, and assayed at loading by SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek, warehouse-warranted where applicable, and settled documentarily — never against photographs, allocation numbers, or a seller's own certificate.
Specification
Contract specification
Cu-CATH-1 per BS EN 1978:1998 — the grade underlying the LME Copper Grade A contract. Impurity limits are maxima by mass.
Cu-CATH-1 is the LME Grade A basis; buyer-specific tolerances and brand lists are fixed in the SPA and verified by independent assay at loading.
Capabilities
Packaging, pricing & delivery
Strapped Bundles
Cathodes stacked and steel-strapped into bundles of ~1.5–3.0 MT, banded for crane handling and stowed without dunnage contamination. Bundle weights and brand marks recorded on the packing list.
Container Programs
20ft FCL carries ~20–24 MT of bundled cathode — the practical unit for recurring rod-mill and fabricator demand. Weight-limited, not volume-limited; loading plans account for destination road limits.
Bulk & Breakbulk Parcels
500–5,000 MT parcels for larger consumers and term offtakes, with laycan windows, stowage plans, and draft-survey weighing fixed in the SPA.
LME-Referenced Pricing
Priced against LME Copper Grade A — cash settlement or a quotational period agreed in contract — plus a disclosed regional premium (US Midwest, Rotterdam CIF, or Shanghai CIF as applicable). No opaque flat prices.
Assay & Weight
Independent sampling and assay at loading, with umpire assay provisions in contract. Weight established by certified weighbridge or draft survey, never by seller declaration alone.
Documentary Settlement
Payment under letter of credit or documentary collection against complying documents — bill of lading, certificate of analysis, certificate of weight, and certificate of origin.
FAQ
Common Questions
What does 'LME Grade A' mean, and why does the brand matter?
LME Grade A is the copper quality deliverable against the LME contract, defined by Cu-CATH-1 chemistry and produced by a brand the LME has registered after testing. Registered-brand cathode is warrantable and financeable; unregistered material may meet the chemistry but trades at a discount and is harder to hedge or finance.
How is copper cathode priced?
Against the LME Copper Grade A price over an agreed quotational period, plus a regional physical premium reflecting delivery location and freight. Both components are disclosed in the offer — the premium is where the physical market actually moves.
How do you handle the fraud risk copper is known for?
We contract only with counterparties that pass sanctions and beneficial-ownership screening, require independent inspection and assay at loading by SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek, and settle documentarily. We do not transact on proof-of-product photographs, unverifiable allocation numbers, or seller-issued analysis.
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