Copper Surges to 9-Month High on US Tariffs
Copper futures surged over 5% to above $4.76 per pound on Wednesday, testing their highest in nine months after US President Trump stated that the country would tariff copper imports. The US President noted he imposed tariffs on copper along with other base metals in his speech before Congress, contradicting earlier pledges that potential levies on the metal were still to be investigated by the Department of Commerce before being implemented later in the year. Such a move would increase dependency on domestic capacity, which is limited to only two major smelters, as the US imports nearly half of its copper. In China, supply remained ample. Treatment charges by smelters were still below zero, reflecting the large extent of overcapacity in refined copper production in the major producer. Additionally, copper stocks in China rose toward 270,000 tonne mark, thrice the level from the start of the year.