Supply and demand fundamentals, including the widespread adoption of EV and battery applications and new infrastructure spending, as well as rising inflation expectations indicate that a strong copper market is upon us and should persist for several years to come. This growing demand, a continued development of emerging economies driven by the growth of the middle class, and the needed shift towards a greener and more sustainable option for further global growth all support the current copper price level as well as continued expansion.
Looking back of the last decade, the low copper price of copper and base metals in general has been met with a lack of investment in new exploration and mine development. This has hampered the current supply of copper to the point where deficits are expected over the next few years. Despite recent price increases, supply will remain suppressed until new production can be brought online. The catch is that developing significant new copper mines can take 8 to 10 years, a longer timeline than some other secondary base metals. With warehouse stock levels just off their 10-year lows, a continued tight market is expected, putting sustained upward pressure on the price of copper over the coming years.