Revival of the Mobile Phone Market Activates Copper, Aluminum, and Rare Earth Demand, 5G Technology Reshapes the Value of the Metal Industry Chain

According to the latest data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, in the first quarter of 2025, the domestic 5G mobile phone shipment volume reached 61.043 million units, a year-on-year increase of 8.2%, with a market share as high as 87.6%. This growth trend is driving the industrial upgrade of key metal materials such as copper, aluminum, and rare earths.

Copper: The Core Material for 5G and AI

The construction of 5G base stations and data centers has significantly increased the demand for copper. The number of RF connectors in a single 5G macro base station has surged from 64 sets in the 4G era to 384 sets, leading to a significant increase in the use of copper plates and copper foils for PCBs. It is estimated that by 2026, the global demand for PCB copper due to new 5G base stations will increase by 56,000 tons, and the demand for copper in the AI server sector will exceed 460,000 tons.

Aluminum: The Key to Lightweight and Heat Dissipation

The trend of lightweight 5G phones is promoting upgrades in aluminum alloy applications, with 6-series and 7-series aluminum alloys becoming mainstream choices. In the field of base station heat dissipation, aluminum radiators are the preferred choice due to their high thermal conductivity of 237 W/m·K. It is expected that by 2025, the global demand for aluminum materials for 5G base stations will increase by 10%, with China's market share exceeding 65%.

Rare Earths: The Invisible Driver in High-End Manufacturing

Each 5G mobile phone consumes about 0.5 grams of rare earth permanent magnets, mainly used in components such as speakers. The global share of domestic mobile phone brands has reached 91.7%, promoting breakthroughs in rare earth deep processing technology. High-performance neodymium-iron-boron magnets have achieved a magnetic energy product of 55MGOe, and the amount of polishing powder used in 5G phones has increased by 20% compared to 4G phones.

Supply Chain Challenges and Green Transition

The supply of copper concentrates is tight, with a global increase of only 1.2% in 2025, far below the 3.5% growth rate in demand. The localization rate of high-end rare earth magnetic materials is less than 40%. The industry is addressing these challenges through a circular economy; recycled aluminum consumes only 5% of the energy of primary aluminum, and the recycling rate of rare earths from discarded mobile phones exceeds 85%.

As the shipment volume of 5G mobile phones continues to grow, the demand for key metal materials such as copper, aluminum, and rare earths is rising. As an industry leader, Jintian Copper is actively responding to industrial upgrades, focusing on high-quality copper products, and contributing to the green transition and sustainable development of the 5G and AI core materials supply chain.