The price of MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) is affected by the increase in copper prices, mainly because copper is an important conductive material inside it. The terminal blocks, conductive connectors and some coils inside the MCB may be made of copper or copper alloys. Copper has good electrical and thermal conductivity. When the price of copper rises, the procurement cost of related components will also increase accordingly, thereby pushing up the production cost of the product.
In addition, the MCB also includes components such as bimetallic strips, contacts, springs and plastic housings. Among them, some contacts may use silver alloy, so changes in the price of silver, plastic raw materials, as well as labor and transportation costs will also affect the final quotation.
However, the increase in copper prices does not mean that the price of MCB will rise proportionally. For instance, if the cost of copper-related components increases by 20%, and if it originally accounted for only 25% of the total product cost, then under the condition that other costs remain unchanged, the total product cost theoretically only rises by 5%.
For foreign trade business personnel, when making purchases, they should keep a close eye on the copper price trend in a timely manner and confirm the validity period of the quotation and the price adjustment mechanism with the factory. When quoting prices to customers, the product specifications, number of poles, rated current, breaking capacity and certification requirements should also be comprehensively considered to avoid judging the product price solely based on copper prices.