BEIJING, July 10 (Reuters) - China's top copper smelters

agreed on third-quarter guidance for copper concentrate

processing treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at $30 per

metric ton and 3.0 cents per pound, two sources with knowledge

of the matter said on Wednesday.

The decision was made at a meeting of the China Smelters

Purchase Team (CSPT) held on Wednesday, the sources said. This

guidance marks a sharp drop from the first-quarter guidance of

$80 per ton and 8.0 cents per pound.

In March, the group decided not to set any guidance prices

for the second quarter, following a dramatic fall in spot TCs on

tightening supplies.

CSPT, consisting of over 10 top copper smelters, holds

quarterly meetings to discuss market conditions and give

guidance prices for the near-term spot market.

TC/RCs, a key source of revenue for smelters, are paid by

miners when they sell concentrate, or semi-processed ore, to be

refined into metal.

They are a gauge of availability for copper concentrates

used in the production of refined copper. A lower charge signals

less supply, which started with the December closure of First

Quantum's Cobre mine in Panama.

Meanwhile, demand in China increased as smelters ramped up

their capacity. China's refined copper output grew 8.2% in the

first five months to 5.54 million tons this year, according to

data by National Bureau of Statistics.

China imported 11.59 million tons of copper ore and

concentrate in the first five months this year, up 2.7% from the

same period last year, customs data showed.