Commodity
Copper
Copper is the metal most closely tied to electrification. Anything that moves electricity uses it, which is why the price is read as a signal about industrial activity.
Price
What it is used for
- Electrical wiring and cabling
- Construction plumbing and roofing
- Motors, generators and transformers
- Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure
- Renewable generation
Supply
New supply is slow. A large copper discovery typically takes well over a decade to reach production, and grades at existing mines have been falling.
Principal producing countries: Chile, Peru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, China, United States.
Producer list from United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, checked 10 September 2026.