Logistics at a Crossroads: Vol 33: π Copper’s Comeback: A Barometer for the Global Economy

Copper used to be a quiet workhorse of the industrial world—essential but rarely in the spotlight. That’s changed. Over the past two years, copper has surged from a basic building material into a strategic resource shaping the clean energy transition, fueling the tech boom, and driving a scramble among miners, manufacturers, and investors. Today, prices are approaching what some analysts call peak altitude . The question isn’t just why copper is rallying—it’s whether this market is about to explode further or finally correct. 1. Why Copper Demand Is Exploding Copper is the backbone of electrification. Each electric vehicle uses up to four times more copper than a gas-powered car. Solar farms and wind turbines need miles of copper wiring. Grid upgrades in the U.S., China, and Europe are copper-hungry projects. Quote: “Copper is the metal of electrification—it’s simply irreplaceable at scale.” — Daniel Yergin New growth engines are adding fuel. AI-powered hyperscale data centers—esp...