Copper
The updated directory covers more than 1,400 facilities worldwide, detailing mine, smelter, and refinery capacities along with project developments, ownership changes, and long-term trends.
Subpoenas have been issued to two major metal recycling businesses, and their potential involvement or compliance with regulations is under review.
In Chile, Freeport last week filed an environmental application for a $7.5 billion expansion of its El Abra copper mine.
If society wants more copper, faster, then people must accept that higher, more stable prices are part of the solution.
A tariff of 50% on copper cathode would “create a big mess,” Pirondini said.
Police say one common sign of stolen copper is burned wire — where insulation has been stripped off to expose the metal.
Rio Tinto plans to launch a $500 million drilling campaign to further assess the resource before determining a production timeline.
In addition to copper, Zambia is also rich in cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, lithium and rare-earth elements.
Despite this, the stockpile is not a sustainable answer to its demand. At present, only 5% of global mined copper production takes place in the USA.
According to a report by The Guardian, copper prices surged 35% in 2025 due to fears of a potential shortage of the metal.
Citi said other metals with net bearish exposure to the turmoil include tin, nickel and lead.
This decline may encourage officials to consider extending measures to refined metal.
When tariffs were initially applied to copper in August 2025, the White House said fees wouldn't be applied to refined products until 2027 and 2028.
Global refined copper production expanded by 4.2%, with primary output up 3.9% and secondary production from scrap rising 5.8%.
New supply isn't coming fast enough to help. Mine development takes seven to 10 years, and discovery rates have plummeted 70% since the 1990s.
Copper output at QB was 55,400 tons in the fourth quarter, lower than the previous year, but the strongest quarterly performance of 2025.
For Gibraltar, Taseko expects 2026 copper production to range between 110 and 115 million pounds, representing an increase from 2025 levels.
The balance sheet remained resilient, with liquidity of $4.9 billion and a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 0.53x.
The researchers also argue that faster, more predictable permitting is necessary, without sacrificing environmental and community safeguards.
There was a 1 824-ton decrease in Comex stocks on Wednesday, the first dip since late October, with most of the outflows from Baltimore, exchange data showed.
Fortunately, the factors driving the copper price surge are driven primarily by supply/demand fundamentals.
Copper production totalled 169,500 tonnes during the quarter, though full-year output declined 14% year-on-year.
Though the project strengthens supply chains, it is also structured to generate returns on U.S. government investment, the official added.
The red metal is now down more than 11% from last week’s all-time high.
Copper is also rising due to a spillover of interest for hard assets, which have sent gold and silver to records, partly due to geopolitical tensions, traders said.