Copper

Learn more about copper and view copper price charts

Copper is one of the most commonly used of the base metals, and when in high demand, copper is a reliable indicator of our economic health. But its importance isn’t confined to electrical wires and thermal conductors.

Copper also plays a vital role in the rise of renewable energies and the production of electric vehicles, helping us transition to a low-carbon economy.

Our team of experts provides global and local data-driven insights, prices, forecasts and market news to help you make sense of the forces influencing the copper market. Our expert analysis provides critical insights to help you predict future trends for win-win outcomes in your contract negotiations.
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Inform your base metals strategy with metals price forecasts and analysis for the global base metals industry

Search copper prices
    • Copper EQ cathode premium, cif Southeast Asia, $/tonne
    • No1 copper material, RCu-2A,1B (candy/berry), cif China, LME/Comex discount, US cents per lb
    • Copper concentrates RC implied traders purchase, cif Asia Pacific, cents/lb
    • Copper concentrates TC implied smelters purchase, cif Asia Pacific, $/tonne
    • Copper concentrates TC implied traders purchase, cif Asia Pacific, $/tonne

    Market-reflective copper price data spanning the copper supply chain, from copper concentrates and copper wire to copper scrap

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    What’s happening in the copper market?

    Anglo American’s rejection of takeover bids by BHP has put copper firmly under the spotlight, but what challenges lie ahead for the red metal as the corporate tussle continues?

    Copper fabricators in China and the wider Southeast Asian region continue to feel the pain of high copper prices on futures exchanges and a lack of new orderbooks, with some having already asked for a postponing of shipments of long-term copper cathodes, sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Wednesday May 15

    Recent weeks have seen a significant number of miners agreeing sales of copper concentrate to traders for one to four years of supply, Fastmarkets has learned

    The copper market is facing a historical moment with Chinese smelters now paying premiums for raw material copper concentrate while selling their finished product at a discount, but participants point to easing concentrate demand in the second quarter as supportive for the market

    The influential annual treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) benchmark that sets the price that smelters charge miners to process their copper concentrate could be at risk, according to multiple market sources, although most believe the system, or elements of it, will remain

    Just under two weeks ago, the chair of BHP made a phone call to his counterpart at mining peer Anglo American and set in motion a flurry of activity designed to create the largest copper producer in the world

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