Top copper miner Codelco may not renew an agreement to supply copper concentrate to China’s Shandong Fangyuan for 2020 because of financial problems at the private smelter, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Copper smelters in China are battling razor-thin margins and sliding profits brought on by low treatment charges paid by miners for converting concentrate into refined metal. Fangyuan in December denied online rumours it had filed for bankruptcy, saying that operations were running normally although it had a “certain degree of liquidity shortage” at the time. Chile’s Codelco, which asks for upfront ... (full story)