The transformation of copper trade flows is one of the biggest stories in metals this year. Long known as Dr. Copper for its role as a barometer of global economic health, copper has typically been a stable market—thanks to its diverse supply base and broad industrial demand. But that stability was disrupted by the re-election of Donald Trump and the launch of a Section 232 investigation into US copper imports, triggering a surge in shipments to the US and record-breaking price arbitrage between global e...
The transformation of copper trade flows is one of the biggest stories in metals this year. Long known as Dr. Copper for its role as a barometer of global economic health, copper has typically been a stable market—thanks to its diverse supply base and broad industrial demand. But that stability was disrupted by the re-election of Donald Trump and the launch of a Section 232 investigation into US copper imports, triggering a surge in shipments to the US and record-breaking price arbitrage between global exchanges.
As copper flooded into the US, stockpiles at COMEX ballooned while buyers in China, the rest of Asia and Europe were left scrambling. Regional premiums spiked, and refined copper became scarce outside the US. Suddenly, copper began behaving more like its volatile base metal peers—unpredictable and reactive to geopolitical shifts.
In this episode, Ronan Murphy, editor of Argus Non-Ferrous Markets, speaks with copper experts from the US, China, and Europe to unpack the global ripple effects. What will the US do with all this copper? How are other regions adapting? And what does the rest of the year hold for the global copper market?
In This Episode:
- Why copper is flooding into the US—and what happens next
- How China is adapting to a new copper reality
- How European buyers are dealing with tight supply
- What the future holds for copper prices and trade flows
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