Copper prices rise on tariff worries as demand spurs US inventories

Trend could spark shortages elsewhere, putting pinch on related companies

20250617N Argentina copper mining

Sheets of copper cathode are pictured at BHP Billiton's Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine, in northern Chile. © Reuters

SHUGO YAMADA

TOKYO -- Copper prices are soaring on recent demand from the U.S., where President Donald Trump has hinted at slapping tariffs on the metal, causing global traders to send their supplies to the country and triggering ripple effects from the resulting inventory shortages.

London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month copper futures stood at $9,645 per metric ton Friday. The price, up 10% from the start of the year, is robust compared with the flat trends of other nonferrous metals like aluminum and nickel.

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