United Kingdom · International non-ferrous metals tradingsales@moorgatemetals.com
Refined copper

Copper cathode

A cathode offer should identify more than a headline Cu percentage: applicable standard, producer/brand, chemistry, physical condition, origin, title, inspection evidence and commercial pricing basis all matter.

Grade framework

Purity and LME deliverability are not the same statement.

The London Metal Exchange specifies Grade A copper against recognised cathode standards and requires deliverable metal to be from an LME-approved brand. A supplier's laboratory result can support chemistry, but it does not by itself establish LME brand status, ownership or deliverability.

For bilateral physical trade, buyer and seller may agree other specifications. The controlling standard and acceptance method should therefore be explicit in the contract.

What we ask for

Product identity

Producer/refinery, brand/markings, country of origin, production lot or bundle references and applicable product standard.

Chemical analysis

Current assay or certificate of analysis showing Cu and relevant trace elements under an agreed test method.

Physical condition

Sheet/bundle condition, dimensions, weight basis, corrosion/contamination observations and packaging/loading method.

Title & provenance

Seller authority, stock location, title evidence, warehouse relationship and transaction-specific material identification.

Inspection

Scope for independent inspection, weighing, sampling and document verification at the agreed transaction milestone.

Commercial basis

LME or other reference, premium/discount, quotation period, Incoterm, shipment window, currency, payment and document set.

Transaction controls

A 1,000 MT cathode offer is a title-and-payment transaction as much as a metal transaction.

01 · IdentifyExact legal seller, producer/brand, stock location and lot references.
02 · VerifyCorporate KYC, title chain, warehouse relationship, assay and physical stock.
03 · AgreeSpecification, pricing formula, quotation period, Incoterm, inspection and claims.
04 · Control paymentUse bank-controlled documentary structures proportionate to counterparty and jurisdiction risk where feasible.
05 · Maintain evidenceConnect inspected stock, loading, seals, export documents and final shipment to the same identifiable cargo.
LME reference: Current LME Copper contract specifications state that deliverable Grade A cathode must conform to an accepted cathode standard and be an LME-approved brand. Bilateral physical transactions can use different agreed specifications; the contract controls the buyer/seller acceptance framework.
Discuss a cathode requirementAssay & buyer acceptancePrice & FX risk