Copper is unexpectedly getting cheaper
Why another boom in the key green-transition metal may not happen
IN LATE JUNE Robert Friedland, the bombastic boss of Ivanhoe, a Canadian miner, warned that the world was running the risk of a “train wreck”, when a crunch in copper supply would derail the energy transition. The metal is used in everything from wiring to wind turbines—and green mandates in America, Asia and Europe will soon demand many more of these. The price of copper, Mr Friedland suggested, could jump ten-fold in response.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Copper comes a cropper”
Finance & economics July 8th 2023
From the July 8th 2023 edition
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