The cost of copper cost in the US may have serious economic consequences

Close the electric engineer who examined the copper winding at the electrical plant.

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Copper Price for us buyers rocket after President Donald Trump – Note It will impose 50% of metal import tariff.

This means that already raised prices in the US is even higher than elsewhere – and analysts He warned about the hit for enterprises and a wider American economy.

Imports in the US A little less than half Its copper used in products, ranging from machines, electronics and home products to housing and infrastructure projects. The stated Trump’s ambition-to increase domestic production, but experts say it will take years to build decades to fully meet the demand and high advance-to-date investment costs.

Traders were ready for the presidential notice of copper duties since February, which led to serious shifts in stocks from Europe and Asia and the US

However, the rate and terms were incomprehensible – and the market participants say they remain so, given the ambiguity in official messages this week, the potential place to negotiate, and recent examples of rapid change of policy from the White House. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutno said CNBC On Tuesday, the responsibilities are likely to be fulfilled in “End of July, and maybe on August 1”.

US Copper prices ended on Tuesday 13% higher than a one-day increase since 1989, and the closure record of $ 5.69 per pound. On the London metal exchange (LME) global landmark, prices rose by only 0.3%.

This is a reflection of an unusually wide prize that develops between US copper and metal elsewhere.

Because prices in the USA remain elevated, despite higher than usual reserves, gap in US COMEX Futures Over those who on the LME ran from $ 500 to 1500 as Trump announced a probe in copper in February. Historically, this rate was almost zero and amounted to about $ 150 in 2024.

Meanwhile, the prices for the Shanghai metal market were similar to LME.

On Tuesday, the COMEX-LME Premium value increased by 138%, crossing the $ 2600 per tonne, according to the Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Flourish-chart “Data-src =” https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/visualisation/24157480 “>Visualization of the chart

By August, Benchmark said US consumers could pay about $ 15,000 per metric for copper, and the rest of the world pays about $ 10,000, believing that 50% of the tariff rate comes into force at the beginning of the month.

This huge inconsistency will begin to have a serious economic impact, said Daan de Jonge, a leading Benchmark analyst in demand and copper price, CNBC said.

“As for the cost of housekeeping, when you buy a new refrigerator, conditioner, car, everything will be more expensive, and companies can be reasonably conveyed,” he said. Depending on the final tariff tariffs, US consumers can choose the purchase of goods made cheap abroad from this influence.

“When we look at government investments, US debt is more expensive, the dollar is declining, and now you get a major increase in raw materials for infrastructure … I would expect to start employment effects.”

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Another side effect may be that projects begin to change copper to cheaper aluminum, which in some cases can be used as a replacement, although it is ultimately more difficult and more expensive, De Jong said.

“All this is definitely a range of risk destruction,” he said.

“The Moment of Water”

Obstacles for increasing domestic production include long -standing mining permits and huge costs to open new objects that will lean on the current market dynamics stored in the future.

“The question is whether America can replace imported products with domestic products and how quickly?” Peter Chase, a senior employee of the Marshall German Foundation, said CNBC on Wednesday at Squawk Box Europe. Major US copper sources include Chile, Canada, Peru and Mexico.

“There is a reality to fight, and the price of copper with a 50% tariff will not mean that copper production in the US goes through the roof tomorrow.”

Chase said US consumers and businesses would have a direct impact, and this is likely to get into the plans for the construction of AI infrastructure in the US.

Meanwhile, Citi analysts called Tuesday a “turning point for the copper market in 2025”.

“The imminent tariff introduction of the tariffs should cut the window sharply for further significant US copper departures (perhaps for the rest of 2025),” they said in a note on Wednesday, saying that this would lead to a return at the ex-expert prices.

However, they do not expect the COMEX-LME prize reflecting a full 50% tariff, given both the recent US inventory and the likelihood of key copper exporters, which ultimately negotiate at a lower rate-other opportunity still hanging on the market.

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