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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-07-06 Origin: Site
China produces roughly half of the world's copper tubes, making it the first stop for HVAC OEMs, refrigeration brands, plumbing wholesalers, and MEP contractors looking for a reliable copper tube manufacturer in China. But with thousands of copper pipe suppliers listed on B2B platforms — many of them trading companies rather than real factories — separating a genuine copper tube factory from a middleman is the hardest part of the sourcing process.
This 2026 sourcing guide ranks the top 10 copper tube manufacturers in China by production capacity, certifications, product range, and export experience. You'll also find a practical buyer's checklist, an overview of copper tube types and international standards (ASTM B280, ASTM B88, EN 1057, JIS H3300)
Who this guide is for: air conditioner and heat pump OEMs, refrigeration equipment makers, plumbing and building-materials distributors, medical gas contractors, solar thermal manufacturers, and anyone comparing China copper pipe Manufacturer for bulk or OEM orders.
Unmatched scale and cost efficiency
China's copper tube industry is built around the world's largest air-conditioning manufacturing cluster (Gree, Midea, Haier, Hisense). That demand created mega-factories with cast-and-roll production lines whose per-ton fabrication costs are difficult to match in Europe or the Americas.
A complete upstream supply chain
Leading Chinese producers are integrated from cathode copper (or even mining) through to finished tube, which stabilizes quality and shortens lead times compared with converters that buy feedstock on the spot market.
Broad standards compliance
Established exporters routinely manufacture to ASTM B280 / B88 / B75 / B68, EN 1057 / EN 12735, JIS H3300, AS 1432 / AS 1571, and GB/T 17791, with mill test certificates, eddy-current testing, and hydrostatic pressure testing as standard.
Deep OEM and customization capability
Whether you need a custom copper tube manufacturer for special tempers, non-standard wall thicknesses, inner-groove geometries, plastic-coated tube, or private-label packaging, Chinese factories are structured for OEM/ODM work at almost any volume.
Headquarters: Changzhou, Jiangsu Province
Founded: 2020, built on a technical team with 10+ years of precision tube expertise
Key products: Precision seamless copper tube, cold-drawn copper tubing, copper tube,Pure copper pipe (red copper pipe)custom cut-to-length and end-formed copper tube — alongside precision cold-rolled seamless steel tube and hydraulic cylinder honed tube
Certifications: IATF 16949 automotive quality management system (certified 2022); production aligned with ASTM, EN/DIN, JIS, and GB tube standards
Fengdie approaches copper tube from a different direction than the volume giants below: it is a precision seamless tube specialist that applies automotive-grade process control to every product line. Built around advanced cold-rolling and cold-drawing lines with annealing, straightening, and in-line non-destructive testing, the factory routinely holds dimensional tolerances as tight as ±0.025–0.08 mm with surface finishes of Ra ≤ 0.2–0.8 μm — the level of accuracy demanded by the Tier 1/Tier 2 automotive and hydraulic customers it serves across Europe, Japan, and other export markets.
That discipline carries directly into its seamless copper tube line: uniform wall thickness, clean bright surfaces, stable mechanical properties, and full customization — cutting, chamfering, expanding/necking, and surface treatment — down to small-batch quantities. Where mega-mills quote slowly and demand multi-ton MOQs per size, Fengdie is structured for fast engineering feedback, flexible order sizes, and OEM/ODM projects. That combination is exactly why it tops this list for buyers whose priority is custom precision copper tube, not raw tonnage.
Best for: automotive, hydraulic, machinery, and industrial buyers who need a precision seamless copper tube manufacturer with IATF 16949 quality control, tight tolerances, low MOQs, and responsive engineering support.
Headquarters: Zhuji, Zhejiang Province
Founded: 1989 (group); listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002203)
Key products: Seamless copper water and gas tube, ACR copper tube, copper alloy tube (including copper-nickel), pancake coils, level wound coils, copper fittings, precision copper rod
Hailiang is widely regarded as the largest copper tube and rod processing group in the world. The company reports monthly output of around 20,000 tons of copper products, with roughly 8,000 tons exported every month, and operates production bases across Asia, Europe, and the Americas — including plants in Vietnam, Thailand, the United States, and Europe that help buyers manage tariffs and regional lead times.
For importers, Hailiang's appeal is one-stop coverage: it is simultaneously a seamless copper tube manufacturer, a copper fittings producer, and a copper alloy specialist serving plumbing, HVAC&R, marine, desalination, and industrial markets. Its multi-country footprint makes it a natural shortlist candidate for multinational buyers who need identical specifications delivered on several continents.
Headquarters: Chongqing (Wanzhou); originated in Xinxiang, Henan
Founded: Roots trace to 1987; restructured as a state-holding mixed-ownership group
Key products: High-precision smooth copper tube, high-efficiency inner grooved copper tube, outer-finned tube, copper capillary tube, plastic-coated copper tube, copper alloy tube, tube assemblies
Golden Dragon is China's — and by tube capacity, arguably the world's — largest dedicated precision copper tube producer, with roughly 650,000 tons of annual copper tube capacity across multiple domestic bases plus overseas plants (including a well-known facility in Alabama, USA, serving North American AC makers). The group has ranked among the "Top 500 Chinese Enterprises."
Its core strength is air conditioning copper tube manufacturing: high-precision level wound coils and inner grooved tube engineered for heat-exchanger efficiency in residential and commercial AC, heat pumps, and compressors. If your product roadmap involves R32/R410A systems and you need an inner grooved copper tube factory with proven OEM discipline, Golden Dragon sits at the top of the list.
Headquarters: Ningbo, Zhejiang Province
Founded: 1986; listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (601609)
Key products: Inner grooved tube, level wound coil (LWC), pancake coil, PE-insulated copper tube, jumbo coil, plastic-coated tube, copper capillary tube, oxygen-free copper tube, high-strength alloy tube — plus copper strip, rod, wire, busbar, and enameled wire
Jintian is one of the most comprehensive copper fabricators in China, holding 200+ patents and participating in the drafting of dozens of national and industry standards. On the tube side, its catalog covers virtually every format an HVAC&R or plumbing buyer needs, from copper pancake coil suppliers' staple products to specialty oxygen-free and high-strength alloy tubes for demanding applications.
The practical advantage: buyers who also purchase copper strip, busbar, brass rod, or magnet wire can consolidate multiple line items with one audited supplier, cutting qualification and logistics overhead.
Headquarters: Jiangxi Province
Founded: 1979; Fortune Global 500; listed in Shanghai (600362) and Hong Kong (00358.HK)
Key products: Cathode copper, copper rod, copper tube and pipe products via its copper processing subsidiaries, plus a broad portfolio of copper and precious-metal products
Jiangxi Copper is China's largest cathode copper producer and one of the few copper tube suppliers in China that is fully vertically integrated — from mining and smelting through refining to downstream fabrication. Group revenue has exceeded RMB 300 billion, giving it a financial stability profile few fabricators can match.
For buyers, JCC's value proposition is raw-material traceability and supply security. When copper markets tighten, integrated producers are structurally better positioned to guarantee feedstock than independent converters. Large utilities, state-backed projects, and buyers with strict ESG/traceability requirements often gravitate here.
1. Verify it's a factory, not a trader
Ask for the business license , match the registered name to the export documents, and request a live video factory tour showing casting, rolling/drawing, annealing, and eddy-current testing lines. Traders have a place in small orders, but you should always know who actually manufactures your tube.
2. Confirm standards and certifications in writing
At minimum: ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment); product compliance with the standard your market requires — ASTM B280 (ACR tube, US), ASTM B88 (water tube, US), EN 1057 (plumbing, EU), EN 12735 (ACR, EU), JIS H3300 (Japan), AS 1432 (Australia), or GB/T 17791 (China). For medical gas copper pipe, check EN 13348 or local healthcare codes.
3. Nail down alloy and temper
Most ACR and plumbing tube is phosphorus-deoxidized copper C12200 (TP2); verify chemical composition on the mill test certificate. Specify temper — soft (annealed, O60), half-hard, or hard-drawn — because it changes bending behavior, pressure rating, and packaging.
4. Audit quality control
A serious copper tube factory performs 100% eddy-current testing, hydrostatic or pneumatic pressure testing, dimensional checks (OD, wall thickness, ovality), and cleanliness/residue control (critical for refrigerant systems). Ask to see recent test reports for an order similar to yours.
5. Understand the pricing model
Copper tube is quoted as copper price (LME or SHFE) + fabrication premium. Clarify the price-fixing mechanism (date of order, date of shipment, or hedged), price validity window, and how surcharges apply. This protects both sides in volatile copper markets.
6. Check MOQ, lead time, and packaging
Typical MOQs run from about 1–5 tons per specification for standard items (sometimes a single coil or bundle for stocked sizes), with 15–35 days production lead time. Confirm export packaging: wooden cases, pallets, coil wrapping, nitrogen-charged and capped ends for ACR tube.
7. Use third-party inspection for the first orders
A pre-shipment inspection by SGS, BV, TÜV, or Intertek costs a few hundred dollars and verifies dimensions, quantity, marking, and packaging against your PO — cheap insurance on a five-figure copper order.
| Copper Tube Type | Common Standard | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Straight copper pipe (hard/half-hard) | ASTM B88, EN 1057, GB/T 18033 | Plumbing, drinking water, gas lines, medical gas |
| Pancake coil copper tube | ASTM B280, JIS H3300 | Split AC installation, refrigeration service |
| Level wound coil (LWC) | ASTM B743 / B280 | OEM production lines for AC & heat exchangers |
| Inner grooved copper tube | Enterprise/OEM specs | High-efficiency AC & heat pump heat exchangers |
| Copper capillary tube | ASTM B360 / GB | Refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers |
| PE/PVC insulated copper tube (line sets) | — | Split and VRF air conditioner connections |
| Large-diameter straight copper pipe (OD 76 mm+) | ASTM B75 / B111 | Industrial, condensers, power plants |
| Copper-nickel tube (CuNi 90/10, 70/30) | ASTM B111, EN 12451 | Marine, shipbuilding, desalination |
| Oxygen-free copper tube (C10200) | ASTM B68 / B75 | Electronics, vacuum, cryogenics |
| Medical gas copper pipe (degreased) | EN 13348, HTM 02-01 | Hospital oxygen, vacuum & medical air systems |
Quick spec template for your RFQ: alloy (e.g., C12200) → standard (e.g., ASTM B280) → temper (soft/hard) → OD × wall thickness (e.g., 9.52 × 0.81 mm) → format (LWC / pancake coil / straight length) → quantity (tons or coils) → packaging & port.
Define the specification using the RFQ template above — ambiguous inquiries get padded quotes.
Shortlist 3–5 manufacturers from this guide plus any incumbent suppliers; confirm each is a genuine factory.
Send identical RFQs and compare fabrication premiums, lead times, and MOQ side by side.
Request samples and mill test certificates for your exact alloy, temper, and dimensions.
Audit before the first order — on-site if volume justifies it, or a paid third-party factory audit if not.
Place a trial order (one container or less) with third-party pre-shipment inspection written into the PO.
Arrange logistics: copper tube ships well in 20' containers (heavy cargo, ~20–25 tons per box); confirm Incoterms (FOB Ningbo/Shanghai/Qingdao/Shenzhen are most common) and marine insurance for full metal value.
Clear customs under HS 7411.10 (check your country's duty rate and any anti-dumping measures on copper pipe), then verify received goods against the MTC before releasing final payment where terms allow.
1.Who is the largest copper tube manufacturer in China?
By dedicated copper tube capacity, Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group leads with roughly 650,000 tons per year, while Hailiang Group is the largest overall copper tube and rod processing group with production bases on three continents. Together they anchor the top of the global copper tube industry.
2.What copper grade is used for air conditioning tubes?
Almost all ACR (air conditioning and refrigeration) tube is phosphorus-deoxidized copper C12200 / TP2, valued for weldability and corrosion resistance. It's typically supplied soft-annealed in coils to ASTM B280 or JIS H3300, cleaned and capped for refrigerant service.
3.What is the MOQ when buying copper tubes from China?
For standard specifications, most factories accept 1–5 tons per size, and stocked items can sometimes ship by the coil or bundle. Custom inner-groove profiles, special alloys, or non-standard dimensions usually require 3–10 tons per item.
4.Are Chinese copper tubes good quality?
Tier-one Chinese manufacturers supply the world's largest AC brands and export to markets with strict standards (US, EU, Japan, Australia). Quality risk comes mainly from unverified traders and undersized workshops — which is exactly what factory verification, mill test certificates, and third-party inspection are for.
5.What certifications should a copper tube supplier in China have?
ISO 9001 as a baseline, plus product compliance with your market's standard: ASTM B280/B88 (US), EN 1057/EN 12735 (EU), JIS H3300 (Japan), AS 1432 (Australia), or EN 13348 for medical gas copper pipe. Ask for current certificates and matching mill test reports, not just website logos.
6.What is the HS code for copper tubes?
Refined copper tubes and pipes generally fall under HS 7411.10; copper alloy tubes (brass, cupronickel) fall under 7411.21/7411.22/7411.29. Confirm the exact tariff line and duty rate with your customs broker.
